Reflections of the Soul
by Lionheart021
Summary: Choices. Everyone makes them and each have different permutations. The choices of Natsu and those around him will effect the young Dragon Slayer in a way that will shake the fabric of Earthland. The negative emotions reflected in his soul will change his destiny. S-Class Natsu. Sarcastic/Cynical Natsu. Grey Natsu.
1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima…even though he did kind of fuck it up in the end.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _ ***Flashbacks***_

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Chapter 1: Negative Reflections**

The rain paltered down on a lone figure as he stared blankly at the two handmade gravestones before him. The flashes of thunder and fierce rain and wind was an apt metaphor for the tumultuous emotions being felt by the young man. His entire world seemed to be crashing down around him and he was left in Limbo, unsure of how to pick up the pieces of his broken soul.

Natsu Dragneel always considered himself a straight forward person, always wearing his heart on his sleeve. It got him into many precarious situations in the past, but now he was at a loss as to what to do. How does he go on with this unbearable pain tearing away at his very soul? It felt to him as though the world was working against him. Doing its best to torment him. For it seemed as though everything that he ever loved was taken away from him. His hollow eyes focused on the gravestones once more.

The gravestones of Lisanna Strauss and Happy.

The two most important people in the world to him. They were his anchor. That which kept him rooted firmly to the ground. The happiness and the joy he experienced with them was something that he never thought he could again since his father disappeared. They were the light in his world that was once plunged in darkness.

And now…without them…he can feel the darkness encroaching once more.

Ever since he arrived at Fairy Tail, it's been a mixed bag of emotions for him. Natsu was drawn into the lore of the guild by the Guild Master, Makarov Dreyer. The principles that he spoke of and the promise of a family were things that he was hard pressed to say no to. For a boy whose only contact, as far as he could remember, was a hulking dragon…the promise of new friends and adventure was the ultimate lure. Don't get it twisted though, he loved Igneel very much, but his sense of adventure was something that couldn't be quelled. He wanted to make new friends, to meet new people, to see new places and to see the different magic's the world had to offer.

When he laid eyes on the Fairy Tail building, he was bursting at the seams from excitement. It seemed so mysterious, and Master Makarov's explanation behind the name of the Guild only enticed him even more. He was eager to meet the many unique characters that lay beyond.

When he finally did enter, the amount of chaos and destruction waiting within made his eyes widen in glee. Tables were flying, bottles were being smashed and people were trying to beat the hell out of each other. The crazy part though, was that there were smiles on their faces as they did so. Never has he seen that much mayhem taking place. He was instantly in love.

Things didn't quite go so well afterwards. Natsu would never claim to be an overly sensitive boy, nor would he say that he was particularly subtle with his emotions. However, the reaction he received from revealing that he was searching for his father, who happened to be a Fire Dragon, was something that disheartened him greatly.

He can still remember the laughter that greeted him in the face of his revelation. It made him shrink a little into himself. They thought that he was lying. That he was making things up. Why would he ever do something like that? He was speaking the truth and not one person believed him. He looked to the Master, who seemed to be contemplative, but didn't do anything to stop the jeers. Natsu hung his head sadly at that. This wasn't the reaction that he was hoping for. Even the kids who were in his age group didn't believe him. A black haired boy, whom he now knows as Gray, was particularly vocal in his disagreement.

Natsu never said anything in retaliation. He just continued to put on a smile and try to go on. He was never one to give into those negative emotions. He told himself that he would wait and see how it goes. He would at least give them a few weeks to get used to him and maybe they could be friends from then on.

What happened though, was that the adults left the kids to their own devices and went on with their business. Natsu was then introduced to Erza and Mirajane. Those two were his chief tormentors. Erza was even more socially incompetent that he was, which was saying a lot since he basically had the mannerisms of a caveman. She forced her opinions onto him without care for his own and constantly pushed him around. She also took out her frustrations on him and Gray and would smack them around. She was also a hypocrite, as she chastised him and Gray as well as others for fighting in the Guild when she would do the very same with Mirajane. Mirajane, on the other hand, took some kind of perverse pleasure in tormenting and bullying him whenever she could. He could still remember the day he tried to do his first mission and found out that he couldn't read the language the requests were written in. He was laughed at by his 'family'. He knew that he could read though, he faintly remembers being taught by someone. It just didn't make any sense for him to not be able to read the request. Apparently, according to Mirajane, she found his crying face adorable and took every chance to bring it out.

He was on the verge of tears at hearing Mirajane's jeering when Erza took it upon herself to teach him how to read. Natsu was ecstatic at hearing that. He was very willing to learn and he hoped that maybe he could become better friends with Erza at the same time…That didn't happen. Her 'lessons' weren't that much better than her normal behaviour. She was forceful and abusive in her application. He barely had time to eat or rest as she literally beat the information into him. It was a torturous experience for him but he put the negative aspects of it at the back of his mind and was just thankful that he could now read and write like everyone else. The lingering trauma from Erza's 'lessons' never faded though and he lived in a constant state of fear around the girl.

After about a month of being in Fairy Tail, he was about ready to call it quits. The Old Man had lied to him. This was nothing like a family that he envisioned it to be. He was bullied without anyone reprising his tormentors. He didn't have any friends and he honestly felt like an outsider. Despite being surrounded by so many people, he had never felt lonelier in his life. It seemed that everyone fitted into the Guild except him. He was ready to call it quits at that point and move on with his life.

That was when she came into his life…

Like an angel descending from Heaven. She offered him salvation from his suffering. Her smile was so innocent and inviting. She was like the Sun to him, drawing him in and he was helpless to her pull. He didn't fight it though, for nothing felt more right to him than being near her. Lisanna was his first and his best friend. She was always patient with him, never berating him and always willing to teach him things about the world that he didn't know. She made all the shitty treatment from the rest of the Guild worth it. He had finally found someone he could call his friend, his family.

They did everything together from then on, from camping to fishing to playing different games. Lisanna brought joy to his life in ways that he didn't even think possible. It only got better when he had found Happy. The little blue ball of fur, even though annoying most of the time, was truly a harbinger of happiness. He completed Natsu and Lisanna's little family and nothing was more fulfilling than that for Natsu. His days were filled with purpose and he woke up every morning with something to look forward to. He couldn't help but wonder if this was what Igneel wanted for him. Even though he could be pretty dense most of the time, mostly in part to his lack of understanding of social mores and norms, even he could tell that there was something special between himself and Lisanna. Something that transcended friendship. It was a fuzzy feeling that he gave up fighting a while ago. He wondered if this is what the others referred to as love. He didn't dwell on it though as he made up his mind to discuss it with Lisanna when she got back from her mission. Maybe they could make their 'family' more official. Goodness knows that he honestly couldn't imagine his life without those two in it.

Now…he didn't have to…

They were both gone.

His entire world was crumbling around him and Natsu didn't know how to make it stop. He didn't know how to stop these horrible feelings in his heart from taking root. His light was gone. Her illuminating flames were cruelly snuffed out by the horrors of this world. If that wasn't enough to break him…his 'son', Happy, was taken from him as well.

He knew in his heart that going on that mission was a bad idea. His instincts were warning him but he refused to listen. He tried hard to convince Mirajane to allow him to accompany them but she was ruthless in her rejection of his idea. Her words still stung even now. He sent Happy to watch over Lisanna in the event that something bad happened. He should have followed them from afar. He should have been there to protect Lisanna and Happy. It was his duty as the man of their family. But he didn't. He had failed again. Like he always did. He couldn't help but think of himself as a failure. All he ever seemed to be good for was destroying things.

He tried so hard, but he could stem the stream of tears running down his face. Why was this happening to them? He couldn't understand why their lives were cut short when they brought so much happiness and joy to the world. Was it because of him? Was being around someone like him the reason for them being taken from this world.

Natsu could do nothing to stop that terror inducing thought from blooming in his mind.

First Igneel and now Lisanna and Happy. Was he destined to forever lose the ones he loved? Was this some cruel punishment that he was forced to endure? Would they have lived happier lives if they never met him?

Why? Why? Why?! WHY?!

Why did his loved ones always leave him?!

It wasn't fair! How was he supposed to go on?! The pain searing his heart was unbearable. He wondered if he could stop this pain if he were to join them in the afterlife. He felt all those negative emotions and thoughts that he suppressed float to the surface. He felt the anger at his perceived treatment from his Guild mates. He felt the sliver of hatred that was in his heart at Igneel for abandoning him without a word. He felt the rage towards Erza and Mirajane for daring to bully him. He felt the lingering resentment towards Elman for being the cause of him losing the two most important people in his life. The misery of loneliness that he was forced to endure time and again. He felt the absolute despair of losing his family. The self-loathing for not being able to protect them.

Why was he always so weak? His loud boasts of strength now all seemed so hollow that it was laughable. He was a joke. A jester trying to masquerade as a King.

He could feel the negativity eating away at him. He always did his best to suppress those feelings but he couldn't do it any longer. What was the point? There was no need for him to put up a façade of happiness when his true happiness was gone. This world was rotten and he was forced to face that harsh truth on this day. There was no hope. There was no salvation. There was no God.

Anger and hatred burned in his eyes as he looked into the sky…as if daring the Gods to strike him down. He didn't care anymore. His world had lost its colour. It was now nothing more than a monochromatic slideshow of useless events. Nothing mattered anymore.

Natsu didn't know it, but his magic was flaring and fluctuating erratically. Going from the lowest of the low to the heights that actually surpassed Master Makarov. It was as though something inside of him was reacting to his state of mind. On that day, something changed within him. Whether it was for the better remains to be seen.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Mirajane Strauss was inconsolable as she curled up in her little sister's bed, hoping to find some comfort from her lingering scent. She wore nothing but an oversized white shirt and a pair of plain panties. Her usual gothic makeup was missing as she had no motivation to doll herself up. Her arm was still in its cast, due to it being broken.

The unending guilt and self-loathing that she was currently experiencing was far too potent for her to focus her energy on anything else. Her precious little sister was gone and it was all her fault. No matter how many people tried to convince her otherwise, she knew that the blame rested squarely on her shoulders. Shame filled her very being as she remembered the circumstances leading up to the heartbreaking tragedy. They say that hindsight is 20/20 and she could now see clearly where she went wrong.

She had strayed so far from the person that she used to be. Ever since Master Makarov taught her how to control the power that she obtained, she had changed. It wasn't without reason though, at least to her at that point it wasn't. Looking back, she can see that there was no excuses for her.

The vivid memory of her and her siblings being branded as undesirables by their village and being driven out with pitchforks and torches was something that could never stray too far from her recollection. The absolute despair and helplessness that she had felt in that moment was something that she would never forget and it was something that she promised herself that she would never experience again. She promised herself that Elfman and Lisanna would never have to feel the fear and the hunger that they experienced during those dark days. She promised herself that she would become stronger than anyone else and that she would protect them from this harsh world that they lived in.

However, looking back, she can see how far she had strayed from her promised path. After obtaining control of her large power, she became drunk on it. Her ego became bloated and her arrogance skyrocketed. She held herself as superior to all those around her and she always found the time to remind everyone else of it. She became a bully. She pushed around the other members of the Guild and she bullied those of whom she picked out of the crowd. At the time, it wasn't bullying in her mind. It was just some harmless fun for her to have at the expense of others. But looking back, she can now see how she had mistreated some of the other members. The primary targets being Natsu and Gray. The former more than the latter though.

She was brave enough to admit that she had a bit of a crush on the Dragon Slayer. He was simply too cute. His carefree attitude and his blindingly happy smile was something that was irresistible to one who was as entrenched in negative emotions as she was. Not to mention, he had this unbending will and determination in his eyes that simply drew her in. He was like a bright star shining down on the Guild. She knew that most of the others felt similar about the fire mage. He was quickly becoming the heart of the Guild with his infectiously positive attitude, embodying all the traits of the Guild perfectly. Which was why she could admit defeat, for this time only, when it was clear that Lisanna was head over heels in love with him. And even though he was a bit of an idiot, it was clear that he absolutely adored her sister. Everyone could see that he basically worshipped the ground that Lisanna walked on. Mirajane could admit to being a little jealous of her sister because of that. It wouldn't have been long for him to realise that he held similar emotions for Lisanna as she did for him and act on it. Even though she was sad that she would never get the chance to be with him, she was happy with the promise that her sister had a bright and happy future ahead of her filled with love and happiness.

Which was why her death hurt even more. Her beautiful Lisanna, so young and so innocent with such a wonderful future ahead of her…and it was all taken away from her because of elder sister's arrogance and hubris.

Mirajane was wracked with guilt as tears continued to escape her eyes, not that she did anything to stop them. She had thought that she would eventually run out of tears but there was no end in sight. She held herself responsible for the horrible tragedy that befell her family. Even though master Makarov and even Erza tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault…she knew that it was. She became so caught up in her own power and her own legend that she started believing that she was invincible and that perceived superiority was the very reason that her innocent little sister suffered such a gruesome death and the reason that her brother was now traumatised. She wanted so badly to blame the Demons within her. She wanted to place the blame on them for influencing her with their negative emotions…but she couldn't. She knew better. She wasn't a real demon. Those emotions weren't hers and she was powerful enough to distinguish between them and keep them at bay easily. Her attitude was all her own doing. She never meant to be such an unpleasant person. But after experiencing the pain and the helplessness that she felt at the hands of the villagers of her home town…she vowed that she would be strong…that she would never allow herself to be so weak again. Not just for herself, but for Elfman and Lisanna as well. Fat lot of good that did…

She couldn't help but wonder if things would have gone differently if she had accepted the help offered by others to accompany her on the quest. She couldn't help but wonder if her sister would still be alive if she had taken Natsu with her just as he had asked her to an that fateful day.

 ***Flashback***

Mirajane was standing next to Elfman preparing to leave on their emergency S-Class quest. They came to the park to allow Lisanna to say goodbye to Natsu before she left. She watched with a smirk as she could see and hear them bantering about their little family with Happy and Lisanna having a lot of fun teasing Natsu who could do nothing but blush in embarrassment. It was an adorable reaction, one that made her want to join in and tease the poor boy even more. She knew that they needed to get going though.

"Lisanna, we have to go." Elfman shouted as the both of them approached the group.

"Coming!" She replied.

"Huh? Where are you going Lisanna? You just got back." Natsu asked in confusion.

"It's an emergency S-Class quest. Since Mira-nee is the only S-Class mage currently in town, it automatically falls to her. She's bringing us along as back up." Lisanna clarified.

"EH?! That so not fair! I want to go on an S-Class mission too!" Natsu whined with an adorable pout on his face that made Lisanna and Mira just want to glomp him. He was just too cute for his own good.

"Mira-nee…can Natsu come with us?" Lisanna asked her elder sister, causing Natsu's eyes to light up in happiness. Before Mira could answer, Elfman interjected.

"I'm against this! A man should be able to protect his own family!" He declared with a shout as he flexed his muscles.

"C'mon! I can totally help you guys out! You have to take me!" Natsu pleaded.

"Fufufu…Sorry Natsu, but I agree with Elfman. Besides, as you are now, there is no way that you could handle an S-Class mission with how weak you currently are. Maybe if you train up and get a little stronger I might think of taking you along in a few years." She taunted him with a sardonic glint in her eyes to match her condescending tone. She took pleasure in the ways his cheeks burned in embarrassment at her comments.

Natsu's get straightened at hearing that and the flash of pain and anger that passed through his eyes was so brief that nobody picked it up. He didn't say anything in retaliation though, having grown used to the taunts and the humiliation at the hands of The Demon. Lisanna, for her part, look horrified at what her sister just said to Natsu. She wanted to defend him, but she caught Natsu's eye as he signalled her to let it go. It didn't make her very happy though and she promised to give her sister a piece of her mind later.

"Hahaha, you're probably right." Natsu said with a fake smile on his face and an empty tone of voice, something that worried Lisanna greatly. "At least take Happy along with you. I'm sure he can help you out if any of you need to make a quick escape." He pleaded. Mira was going to reject that offer as well but Lisanna cut her off before she could.

"Sure!" She agreed before scooping up Happy and holding him to her chest. She turned her eyes to Natsu and the two stared deeply at each other for what felt like eternity. "Well, I'm off, Natsu."

"Good luck, Lisanna. I'll be waiting for you when you get home." Natsu replied with a warm smile on his face as he gazed at her with adoration. Lisanna couldn't help herself as she crashed into him with a loving embrace, with Happy sandwiched between them. It was something that filled Natsu with happiness and gave Lisanna the strength that she needed. If it meant that she could experience this feeling again, she would make sure that she would come home to him soon.

Sadly, that was a promise that she would never keep.

Mira watched the scene with a twinge of jealousy in her heart that she quickly buried under her usual condescending smirk. Her eyes gave away her sadness though as she gazed longingly at the scene and the love that was shared between the group in front of her.

 ***Flashback End***

Mira's tears flowed even harder as she thought of what happened. If she hadn't been so damn prideful and brought Natsu along with them, Lisanna would have probably still been alive. She let her ego get the best of her and the price she paid was far too much to bear.

She could still remember the look in Natsu's eyes when she told him the news. She was fully expecting him to lose control and scream at her…but he didn't. She had actually wanted him to hit her, because she felt she deserved it…but again, he didn't. And that scared her more than anything. The smile he had when he saw them and looked around for Lisanna and Happy vanished when he heard what happened. The spark in his eyes dulled and seemed to lose all life as he gazed at her with seemingly hollow eyes. His entire body went rigid and his magic fluctuated a bit, but there was no other reaction from him. After a few seconds of silence, he just turned around robotically and walked out of the Guild. Nobody has seen him since, not even at Lisanna and Happy's funeral.

While it may have escaped the notice of the others, Mira could see it was clear as day. The hatred and wrath that burned behind his stare as he regarded her was something that tore her heart to pieces. She wanted to wail, she wanted to protest. But she knew that she didn't have the right to. She deserved all the hatred that he now seemingly had for her. She has done nothing but bully him for all the time that she's known him. She had abused him, both physically and emotionally. She took every chance she could to humiliate him, just so that she could get a reaction out of him. She can't remember an occasion where she spoke a kind word to him or had a decent conversation with him. For all of her boasting, she was just as socially awkward as he was. Even though she had wanted to get to know him, even though she would have been happy to have his attention. She was far too closed off and fearful to take the chance to initiate a bond with anyone. So she hid her insecurities with her obnoxious personality…and now, she had to reap the consequences of her actions.

She was a failure. A failure as a mage. A failure as a sister…and a failure as a person.

She had no worth now. She didn't deserve to be a Fairy Tail mage. She didn't deserve the love and the support that she received from her Guild mates, especially considering what a bitch she's been. She could feel the lingering self-loathing and insecurity rearing its ugly head. The helplessness that she felt now was far worse than she had ever experienced before. Maybe it would have been better if she had left the Guild all those years ago. Maybe Lisanna would have been alive today and lived a full life. She couldn't help but ponder these things. She knew that she couldn't dwell on those thoughts though. Lisanna wouldn't want her to run away from her problems like a coward. She had to be strong, not for herself but for Elfman. She had no doubt that her brother was in a condition that was just as bad, if not worse than she was in. It was difficult to go on though, when she felt as though a part of her soul was torn from her. Her magic was useless. Nothing good ever came from it. It was the source of her pain ever since she defeated that first demon. She thought that she had changed…but clearly she was wrong. The only thing that became clear to her, was that she was worthless. All she could do was propagate violence. What good was her magic if she couldn't even save her precious little sister?

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

There was an unnatural quite in the Guild hall as people went about their business. The usual rambunctious behaviour of the Guild was far more subdued. They were still reeling from the death of two of their members. Lisanna and Happy were undoubtedly the two people who brought the most cheer and joy to the Guild with their bright personalities and their happy smiles. They were always willing to talk to others and lend a hand in the event it was needed.

Needless to say, their absence was a glaring anomaly in the Guild that had come used to seeing them flitting about daily for these past few years. People were still trying to cope with the loss and Master Makarov knew it would be a while before they got back to their boisterous selves.

Erza was sitting at the bar, slowly eating her favourite strawberry cheesecake. It was obvious though, that her mind was elsewhere. Gray, Cana and Levy were sitting at one of the booths in silence, just soaking up the company of the others. They were all close to Lisanna and Happy to an extent, having been in the same age group, and were forced to face the death of a close friend. For those like Gray and Erza, it wasn't their first brush with losing someone close…that didn't mean it was any easier though. Mira and Elfman were still at home grieving, the Master having told them to take time for themselves to try and recuperate before returning.

Staring at the scene before him broke the heart of the aged Master. He was old enough to experience this scene a countless number of times. It didn't make it any easier to witness though. There was nothing more painful than to watch your children die, and it was an unfortunate privilege that he was forced to endure time and again. He had shed his tears in the comfort of his own home, having needed to put up a strong front for the rest of the Guild. It hurt deeply to lose two of his children, especially ones that brought as much happiness as Lisanna and Happy. He was worried about Elfman and Mirajane. He knew that the trauma of such events never leave the people who experience it. He was concerned as to what effects losing someone they both loved so dearly would do to them. He knew that it would be a difficult path ahead for them, but he was confident that with the help of their friends, they would somehow find a way to go on.

The real problem, to his mind, was Natsu. It had been a week since Lisanna and Happy's deaths, and a week since he has seen the young Dragon Slayer. Normally, he wouldn't be worried about the young man to this extent. His fortitude and strength of mind was amongst the strongest in the Guild. However, he saw the reaction Natsu had to the news on that day. He saw the signs of the dark emotions bubbling under the surface. It was shameful for him to admit, but Natsu didn't have as many ties to the Guild as the rest of the members did. Makarov prided himself on his hands-off approach when it came to the members of the Guild. He allowed them to go about their business and sort out their problems on their own, stepping in only when necessary.

However, the case of Natsu Dragneel was one that he wished he dealt with earlier. He had seen the way the others laughed at him when he proclaimed that he was raised by a dragon. Makarov wasn't sure about his claim, but knew enough to know that Dragon Slayer magic could only be learnt in two ways. Being taught by a dragon or having a dragon lacrima implanted within you. He had experience with the latter, his grandson, Laxus, being one who obtained his Dragon Slayer magic in such a way. Makarov couldn't sense the presence of a lacrima within Natsu's body though, giving precedence to his claim of having been raised by a dragon. While they were considered an extinct species, Makarov didn't rule out the possibility of dragons still being around. The others weren't as open minded as he was though, and let the young boy know it, having thought that he was lying to for attention of some kind.

He saw the detrimental effect that this had on the boy in terms of making him keep the others at arm's length instead of opening up to them. The behaviour of Erza and Mirajane didn't help in anyway. He could see that he was slowly losing the young mage, and he would have, if it wasn't for little Lisanna. She came in and tore through Natsu's barriers and befriended him with ease. She gave him friendship and understanding, something that he sorely needed. It helped that she believed his story about his father which solidified her friendship with him. Makarov's old eyes could see how taken the young slayer was with the youngest Strauss sibling. He looked at her with eyes filled with love and adoration, something that he doubted the boy realised he did. He, as well as most of the others in the Guild, knew that it was inevitable that those two would end up together. He knew that there was a large possibility that the Fire Dragon Slayer would have left the Guild were it not for the intervention of Lisanna. He could see the negative emotions within the boy bubbling up, waiting to erupt. Yet Lisanna came along and blew away all those thoughts and surrounded him with her warmth. When Happy came along, it was as though the universe was ensuring that Natsu stayed with Fairy Tail. He was happier than Makarov had ever seen him. His smiles were genuine and his positive personality became infectious. It was no doubt thanks to his little 'family' that he was able to express himself so freely.

Which was why Makarov was so worried. Natsu lost the two most important people in the world to him. He lost his anchors. He lost the 'family' that he worked so hard to build. For someone who was as emotionally driven as he was, this was something that could have catastrophic results. He was worried that Natsu would succumb to the darker feelings within him. He knew that as it stood, Natsu lost the only two connections that he had with the Guild.

Which was why the Master was cursing himself for not intervening earlier with Natsu. Without Lisanna and Happy, he fully expected Natsu to leave the Guild. That wasn't a desirable outcome for Makarov. He knew what monstrous potential Natsu held within himself. It was far more than Erza or Mirajane. More along the lines of Laxus or even Gildarts. If Natsu were to leave, there's a good chance that he could fall into the darkness from what he was forced to endure for so long and the tragedy that he experienced so recently. Makarov couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't allow one of his children to stray from the path of the light. The problem was that there was little he could do to make Natsu stay, aside from forcing him, which wouldn't go down well. He knew that the Dragon Slayer lost whatever respect he may have had for the Master when he failed to curb the behaviour of the likes of Erza and Mirajane. Makarov could see it in his eyes when he looked at him. He might have been able to hide it from the others, but his old eyes could clearly see the disdain that the young boy had for him. It wasn't so different from his own grandson.

The old Master let out a sigh. Not for the first time he wondered whether he should have retired a long time ago. It seemed he was slowly losing touch with reality. The state of things currently was the perfect example. With Natsu's attitude towards the Guild. Laxus and his unhealthy quest for power. Erza's obsessive need to exert her authority and control. Along with Mirajane's arrogance. These were problems that he should have dealt with ages ago. That was the purpose of the Guild in the first place. To give a home to those who didn't have one and to provide help and support to those that needed it. However, he has neglected that aspect for far too long. He couldn't help but wonder if it was too late. He was weary about what the future held. As these thoughts were racing through his mind, his attention was caught by the Guild doors opening. His eyes panned to the entrance to find the object of his worries slowly walking in.

His eyes carefully followed the young Dragon Slayer, just as he knew the rest of the Guild were doing the same. It was the first time in a week since they have seen him. He didn't look much different on the surface, but Makarov could tell that there was something different about him. There was a certain spark that was missing. He usually kicked in the doors and barged in with a huge smile on his face. But now, he was far more subdued. His posture was rigid and there was no happiness that could be seen in his eyes. No, all that could be seen was anger, hatred and sadness. He was giving off an aura that clearly said that he didn't want to be approached. Makarov was afraid that he had come in to inform him of his withdrawal from the Guild, which was why he was taken by surprise when Natsu walked over to the request board.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Erza anxious to approach Natsu, but even she could clearly tell that it wouldn't end well for her from the aura that he was giving off. He watched as Natsu surveyed the board for a few minutes before plucking off a request and walking over to him. Without saying a word, Natsu presented the request for approval. Makarov inspected the request and saw that it was a Vulcan extermination mission a few towns away, something that was quite common. The reward was 300 000 Jewels. It wasn't a particularly difficult mission for a mage the caliber of Natsu, but he was worried none the less. He knew denying him at this moment wouldn't bode well, despite his fears for the Dragon Slayers state of mind. Ordering him to take Erza or Gray along would be met with even more resistance. It was with a heavy heart that he stamped the approval for the quest, hoping that his young charge didn't lose himself to the darkness within him.

Without a word, Natsu turned around and left the Guild. The silence that hung in the air since he had walked in permeated. Many were shocked by the change they saw in the normally boisterous fire mage. They understood though, that he was forced to endure something that he never should have. They could only hope that he would be back to his rambunctious self soon.

"Was that a good idea, Master?" asked Erza with an uncertain look on her face as she gazed forlornly at the doors that Natsu just left through. Makarov let out a tired sigh at her question.

"I don't know Erza, I honestly don't know. There is little I can do at this point without pushing him away even more. He is going through a difficult time right now and we have no choice but to have faith in him that he will pull through this." He answered her. Although, even she could tell that he was skeptical about his own words. She looked even more troubled at that, hoping that her friend will be okay.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The anger and the rage simmering in his body was slowly bubbling to the surface as Natsu glared at the group of Vulcan's in front of him. It took little time to find their encampment once he got to the town, his nose having sniffed them out with laughable ease. His ride here though, was something that he didn't enjoy. He made a mental note to find some way to deal with the glaring weakness he had when it came to transportation.

He put it out of his mind for now though, as he focused on the task at hand. He allowed all the horrible feelings that he's bottled up over the years come to the surface. He took all of those negative emotions and focused it on the targets within his sights. He needed to vent. It was the reason he took this mission in the first place. He needed the opportunity to punch something. He needed to unleash his magic and destroy something. It was something he felt compelled to do after the torturous week he was forced to endure.

There were a group of 6 Vulcan's in front of him, and he was going to destroy them all. He allowed his hatred to simmer and his flames exploded around his body. The beasts were surrounding him, thinking him easy prey. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction though. Without warning, he exploded from his position and closed the distance between himself and the closest Vulcan. He lit his fist on fire and cocked it back.

" **Fire Dragons Iron Fist"**

The face of the Vulcan contorted grotesquely around Natsu's fist as the concussive force of the hit sent the beast flying back hard into one of the trees. He could feel his fist going a little numb from the force he used in the punch. He didn't get time to dwell on his success though as he was swatted from behind from one of the other Vulcans that he momentarily forgot about. He skidded against the ground before placing his palm on the ground and pushing himself up into a standing position. He allowed his fire to circle him before going with a wide area attack.

" **Fire Dragons Wing Attack"**

Two large 'whips' of fire extended from his arms before connecting with three more Vulcans. They were badly burned and went down screaming. The others, seeing the possible threat that Natsu held sprang into action. With no choice but to defend himself in close quarters, Natsu lit his fists and feet on fire before charging head on. He threw heavy punches and kicks at his attackers, striking at every available opening that he could find and leaving burns on their unprotected bodies. He took as many hits as he gave but it didn't slow him down in the slightest. With all the emotional pain that he's experienced these last few days, the physical sensations he was currently feeling was a welcome difference from the usual numbness that he endured.

The more he attacked, the more he let his mind wander, soaking in the undesirable feelings that he suppressed, before it got to the point where he wasn't even seeing the Vulcan's any longer. In his mind's eye, the faces of the Vulcan's were replaced by faces of others that he felt that he was wronged by. Erza, Mirajane, Gray, Elfman, Master Makarov and even Igneel. He remembered the negative emotions that he associated with these people and he felt his rage explode. He didn't want to feel helpless any longer. He hated feeling weak. He hated being belittled by the people he was supposed to call his family. But more than anything, he hated being abandoned by everyone he's ever come to love.

He hated how Erza pushed him around forced her opinions onto him. She treated him like a fucking idiot and he couldn't stand it. He hated how she would beat him over something as silly as her dessert being spilled. He hated how much of a hypocrite she was and he soaked in the feeling of exhilaration that he felt when he punched the Vulcan that had her face.

He thought of all the time that Mirajane abused and humiliated him in the Guild. He remembered all her mocking words and taunts, especially about him making up stories about his father being a dragon because he wanted attention. The anger that welled up in his as he thought of her was channeled into a devastating kick that shattered the spine of the Vulcan on whom he superimposed Mirajane's face upon.

He thought of Gray and his snide comments and his standoffish attitude even though Natsu just wanted to be friends with him. It pissed him off when Gray had this superior attitude towards him as though he were better than Natsu. He hated being looked down upon. The Vulcan with Gray's face learned that the hard way when he caught a heavy blow to his abdomen that had him clutching for air.

Natsu though about Elfman. He was the reason for his precious family's death. That weakling who always preached about manliness was the one who lost control of himself and killed his beloved Lisanna and Happy. His stupidity and his arrogance cost Natsu everything he cared about. Natsu hated him with a passion. He entertained thoughts of burning him to a crisp. He wondered what his screams would sound like. As he delivered an uppercut to the Vulcan with Elfman's face, he knew that he couldn't maim the overgrown man-child. Not because he was afraid of anything, but because for some reason Lisanna loved her brother and wouldn't want anyone to hurt him.

Master Makarov was somebody that promised him a family and a purpose. He filled Natsu with so much hope and longing, which was why his resentment for the man built so quickly when Natsu realised that he had been lied to. Fairy Tail was nothing like the old man had made it out to be. At least, not for him it wasn't. Not only that, but he did nothing to stop the other members bullying not only him, but some of the others as well. His hands-off approach to the Guild was something that Natsu hated. If the old man had dealt with the problems he was supposed to, maybe Natsu wouldn't have had to suffer under the hands of Erza and Mirajane for as long as he had. If he really cared about the others in the Guild as family, he would have kicked his grandson out a long time ago for all the crap he put the other members through. If he had done his job and curved Mirajane's ego, maybe Lisanna and Happy would have still been alive. Natsu had lost whatever respect he had for the Master and saw him as nothing but a senile old fool that should have kicked the bucket a long time ago. These were his thoughts as he delivered a falcon punch to the Vulcan with Makarovs face.

Natsu thought of Igneel. For the longest time, Natsu's only objective in life was to search for his missing father. It was the reason he even joined Fairy Tail in the first place. That objective took a bit of a back seat when he met Lisanna and later on, Happy. He had a family of his own now. He often wondered what Igneel would have thought of him if he saw him now. He wondered if he would love Lisanna and Happy as much as Natsu did. He wondered if Igneel would be happy that Natsu found him own family to take care of. Now that it was all gone…Natsu's emotions were all jumbled up as they mixed together violently. The lingering resentment that he felt for his father that he had locked away in the deepest parts of his mind began to slowly surface. Why did his father abandon him? Was he a bad son? Was he too weak? Was he not good enough to learn his father's magic? Why didn't he tell him he was leaving? Why didn't he teach him how to read or write? Why did he not tell him about the ways of the world? Why?! Was it all a game to Igneel?! Was Natsu some kind of joke for the dragon to get his jollies off? Why did he have to leave when Natsu loved him so much? He was just like everyone else. He was just like those people who bullied him and mocked him. Everybody always left him. He hated it. Hatred. That's all that was coursing through Natsu's body as his face contorted into an expression of fury as he punched the last Vulcan who had the face of Igneel.

All of those negative emotions started resonating within him, not that he realised it. His power started pulsing. He could feel something building up inside of him. The temperature around him started rising rapidly. Strange images started passing through his mind as his magic power exploded violently around him as his flamed turned a dark crimson colour instead of their usual reddish/orange colour. The earth beneath his feet blackened as the area around him was scorched by the intensity of his flames. It was the most power Natsu had ever felt in his life. He didn't even know he had this much power. For some reason though, it felt right to him. It felt good. His flames were like an extension of himself, like a limb he could easily control.

With barely a thought, he compressed the powerful flames around him into an orb the size of a basketball before firing it at the closest Vulcan. The beast didn't even have the opportunity to scream as the orb of destruction evaporated him from the inside out, leaving nothing behind except a mummified husk. The other Vulcans stared in horror as their primitive minds realised the danger they were in. They didn't have much time to ponder their mortality though, as Natsu unleashed another orb of condensed fire, vaporising another Vulcan whose mummified body crumbled to dust as it hit the floor. The four Vulcans that were left were taking a weary step back from the one they now perceived as a predator.

Natsu, for his part, didn't fully know what was happening. He was running completely on instinct. For some reason, his mind and his body moved on their own and unleashed the attack that he was positive that he had never used before. It was strange though, for his body seemed to be so intimately familiar with forming the attack. He felt the large drain those two attacks had on his magic reserves though. He wanted to question what was happening, and he would have if he was in a rational state of mind. But right now he was running completely on his emotions, his negative emotions to be precise, and he wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in front of him.

He compressed his fire once again, only this time he consciously tried to make the orbs a little smaller and he succeeded. He created four of these orbs, each just a bit larger than a baseball but packed with devastating power. His breathing became heavier as he basically emptied his magic container just to create these attacks, but it was worth it. With a simple flick of his wrist, the spheres of fire raced towards the frozen Vulcans at a pace that was too fast for their feeble minds to follow. The sounds of their insides being incinerated was the only thing that could be heard in the forest apart from Natsu's heavy breathing as he collapsed on his back from exhaustion.

As he lay there, staring into the sky, Natsu brought his hand up in front of his face and flexed it before lighting it on fire. His flames were the usual reddish/orange colour. Was his magic back to normal? He didn't understand what just happened. He's been using his magic for years, but it's never reacted like that before. Why did his flames turn crimson? There was nothing different that he did from normal. Did he always have the potential to do this or was his Dragon slayer Magic evolving? Igneel never mentioned any of what just happened as a possibility so he doubted that. The thought of Igneel left a bitter taste in his mouth as the lingering resentment that he felt for his father resurfaced. Suddenly, the flames in his hand flickered before turning crimson.

Natsu sat up with a jolt. He looked at the flames once again and saw that they were back to their normal colour. The idea had already bloomed in his mind though. He focused on his hatred and anger in his mind, and to his amazement, his flames turned crimson. He stared in awe at the beautiful fire in his hands. His mind had already put the pieces together and he realised that these flames were linked to his negative emotions. That would explain why he's never used them before. He always tried his best to suppress his negative emotions and never let them dictate his actions.

For the first time since the death of Lisanna and Happy, Natsu felt happiness. He was always fascinated by magic, and discovering a new way to use his left him feeling a little giddy. That happiness fell away though as he fell into a cycle of self-loathing. He wondered if he had this kind of power, would he have been able to save Lisanna and Happy. Would Igneel have stayed with him?

It left him with a hollow feeling as his back hit the floor once again. He hated this feeling. He hated losing the people he cared about. He hated being weak and looked down upon. He didn't want to feel this way any longer. He had the power now, but it seemed to be far too late. He entertained thoughts of leaving Fairy Tail, but in the end he decided against it. Fairy Tail was Lisanna's home. She absolutely loved the Guild and he would stay to honor her memory. He would protect her home in her stead. Not to mention, they received the best jobs with the best rewards so he would take advantage of that. He didn't know what he would do from now on though. His purpose in life was gone. He had hoped to live a long and fruitful live with Lisanna and Happy, but that was stolen from him. He thought about continuing his quest for Igneel, but at this moment he didn't care much for finding his father. The sting he felt at his abandonment was greater at this low point in his life and he didn't care much for finding out why he was thrown away like yesterday's trash. He was lost. He had no direction and no purpose in life. He's never felt so empty before. He didn't like this feeling one bit. He was always someone that was driven by something. He always let his purpose guide his journey. Now that he didn't have one…what was he supposed to do? Could he live his life from day to day as he drifted along, hoping to find some semblance of resolve?

He made a vow to himself then and there that he would never let himself feel this way again. If this was the pain he felt when he lost someone, then he would make sure that he never got that close to anyone ever again. That way, he wouldn't be forced to be feel this way again. He loved Igneel and held him in the highest regard, but the dragon tossed him away when he was done with him. To this day, Natsu didn't know the reason why nor did he care. Master Makarov lied to him about the large family that was Fairy Tail. He betrayed Natsu's expectations. If it wasn't for Lisanna, he would have washed his hands with the place. And now he lost the two people he loved more than anything. He was tired of his happiness and his expectations being cruelly snatched away from him. If it meant living a life of loneliness, then so be it. It was better to be alone than loving with all your might only to have it taken away from you.

For now, he resolved himself to continue training himself. He didn't know what else was out there. He knew that his Lisanna would want him to go on with his life and he knew that Happy would slap him upside his head with a fish for moping about them. He would take missions and travel around the continent. Maybe he would find a new purpose someday. Until then, he would continue to build his power. He would increase his magic and explore this new side of him that he discovered. He would never let anyone walk over him anymore. He would be his own man from now on. He didn't care about Fairy Tail's stupid philosophies any longer. They showed him that he didn't belong with them so he would take their attitude to heart and disassociate himself with their members. He didn't need to be anyone's friend to be a member of the Guild. If the Master didn't like it, then that was his problem. He couldn't dictate to Natsu about the power of friendship when his own grandson had no friends within the Guild.

With his resolve strengthened, Natsu made his promise to himself. He would be a new man from today. He had enough of people taking advantage of his kindness. He will live by his own principles, not by those of Fairy Tail or Igneel. He would do what he wanted and not what others wanted him to. He was tired of being Fate's chew toy. He knows Lisanna wouldn't be happy about it, but right now…he needs to do this for himself or he might break. He gave her a silent apology before he got off the ground and walked away. His new future looking uncertain for those around him as his decision on that day will have a ripple effect on the world. Whether it was positive or negative remains to be seen.

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _New story guys…this one's been in my brain for a while so I just had to get it down before the creative juices went away. Despite what it may look like, I want to say it now…this is not a Fairy Tail bashing story. I know I wrote some of the character in a somewhat negative light…which is to be expected as I tried to get Natsu's perspective of things and the extremes that his mind went to under the massive duress that he experienced. Also…while I may have tweak a few things…the behaviour that I described was pretty close to cannon. Erza and Mira were pretty much bullies, no matter how Hiro likes to write it for comedy or whatever other purposes. Children can be pretty cruel, far more so than adults. The point being is that they're all children and they will eventually grow up and mature. Anyway…just wanted to clear things up. Now…I need to address a few things that will be important to know as the story progresses._

 _ **Lisanna and Happy:**_ _I want to make it positively clear right now…Lisanna and Happy are dead…D.E.D…Dead! (That's a Spawn reference right there for those that watched the movie). There will be no Edolas in this story, so I guess you can call it an AU._

 _To me, Edolas served absolutely no purpose to the story progression whatsoever. The only reason it was done was to bring Lisanna back after which she was given the shaft and pushed off to the sidelines, making her completely useless. I don't understand what Hiro was trying to do with that. To me, Lisanna was a far more interesting character when she was dead and a ghost of Natsu's past. Hence the reason she will stay that way. I killed off Happy was well for 2 reasons:_

 _As much as I love that little blue ball of fur, he doesn't entirely fit in the kind of character I want to make Natsu. He was kind of surplus to requirements. I know I didn't have to kill him, but I did and that's where my second reason comes in._

 _The event of Lisanna's death alone was something Natsu was able to get past, as seen in canon. But if it's compounded by losing Happy…then we can see Natsu going to the edge of his sanity and falling into the darkness so it speak. Basically, I used Happy and Lisanna as the triggers for Natsu's descent. It's a bit cheap, but I'm going to go with it anyway._

 _For now, Natsu will be alone, but I may entertain the possibility of giving him another Exceed partner in the future. Let me know what you guys think of that. FYI, the Exceed race will be just another race of magical creature in Earthland like Vulcans and Wyverns_

 _ **Natsu:**_ _Even though I'm a huge Fairy Tail fan and have been following it since the beginning…I have no shame in confessing that Natsu is one of the characters that I like the least. My problem with him is that he has absolutely no personality. Natsu can basically be summed up in a four words. Nakama. Fairy Tail. Igneel. Punch._

 _He has had absolutely zero character development throughout the series. Every other character got some great build up and had their tragic backstories delved into…except him! He was just the guy who punched the enemy bosses in the face and screamed about the power of friendship. Not to mention, his power was completely undecipherable. He went from beating a Wizard Saint, Jellal, to getting smacked around by Cobra. He beat Master Zero…only to have difficulty with a tool like Zancrow. I know the permutations were different for each fight…but come on! He never kept the awesome power that he displayed. He's like every new season of Pokémon. After his big fights, his power gets reset and he goes back to being useless. I mean…shouldn't he have been an S-Class mage by now? I refuse to believe that the brother of arguably the most powerful mage to ever exist, who was trained by the strongest dragon (besides Acnologia who technically isn't a dragon) and is also the strongest demon in existence…was such a weak, flaky bastard. His potential is way higher that Gray, Erza or Mirajane…so how the fuck was he so mediocre?_

 _The whole deal with E.N.D was exciting when it was first announced as I thought we'll get some insight into Natsu and see a different dimension to his character…but that was so horribly done that it made me cringe. So let me make it clear…for those that finished the manga…I'm not going to go in the same direction with E.N.D. I plan on twisting it to my own purposes to suit my story. We already saw some of that in this chapter. Regardless of what he thinks of himself…Natsu is an Etherious. He's unique however in that he was initially a human that was transformed by Zeref himself as well as having his own book. He's on a different tier of power compared to other Etherious. I will change the lore behind E.N.D a bit so watch out for that. What you need to know for now is that, as an Etherious, Natsu has his own power that is fueled by negative emotions…which was the point of this chapter. To show him swimming in his negativity and unlocking a side of him that he didn't even know was there. He doesn't have full access to his Curse power but the bleed off from his species will still fuel his magic._

 _He will eventually find out more about himself and explore that part of him. As shown in the manga…all his memories are there within his mind…they are just 'locked' away. It will show him more about himself as well as change his perception of things._

 _As stated previously, there is no Edolas in this story…which means that there will be no Mystogan. I was intrigued by the guy in the beginning but he turned out to be completely useless. Hence, Natsu will take up the Mystogan role. In the sense that he will fill the left over S-Class role as well as being the loner of the Guild who only comes in for jobs. He will be powerful. Not on the level of Gildarts, at least not yet, but definitely at the level of Laxus, if not higher._

 _I know that it seems like he's completely cut himself off from the rest, but rest assured that Natsu will eventually come out of his shell. His initial attitude was actually inspired by Milly, from Code Geass, when she spoke to Kallen in episode 9. She said that 'Even if you bear them alone, eventually your problems pile up and can break you'. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea. He's all over the place right now with his perspective and his impression of events, which is slightly skewed by him to show it in the most negative light. It will just take some time for him to come out of the hole he's dug himself into and even then, he won't be the same. As shown, he will be more in touch with his negative side. He will be cynical, sarcastic and a bit of an asshole. But that's what makes it fun to write._

 _ **Pairings:**_ _I highlighted Mirajane in this chapter because she will have an important role in this story. Whether she will be part of the pairing or not remains to be seen. She will have a complicated relationship with Natsu though, as was explored a little in this chapter. What I can tell you though, is that this will definitely be a Natsu x Juvia pairing. I absolutely love Juvia. She's the quirkiest and most endearing character to me (not to mention ridiculously sexy) and I honestly think she's wasted on the Ice Prick. She too will play a big part in this story so look forward to that. I'm thinking of an eventual harem, but that's still in the works for now._

 _PS: Did anyone else find is strange that Wendy, the least offensive Dragon Slayer, was able to harness and master Dragon Force, to the point where she could consciously activate it, before Natsu and Gajeel? How the fuck did that happen? I mean I was happy as I like Wendy…but seriously…_

 _Anyway, that's enough from me. I may have said too much already. Thank you for taking the time to read this story. I hope that it piques your interest to keep you peeled. Please look out for more in the future._

 _Lionheart021 out!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all associated content belongs to Hiro Mashima.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _ ***Flashbacks***_

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Chapter 2: The Path of Solitude**

It's been two months since the death of Lisanna and Happy, and the Fairy Tail Guild has pretty much moved on from their deaths, having coped with it in their own special ways. Well, everybody except two people that is…

The Guild was shocked when they saw Mirajane again, for the first time since the funeral. She seemingly underwent a personality overhaul. Gone were the dark colours and the gothic accessories. She now sported a simple maroon dress that reached her ankles with a matching pair of two inch heels. Her platinum coloured hair was left to freely run down her back with her bangs held up in a small front ponytail that would have looked quite silly on anyone else, but she made it work somehow. If her appearance wasn't enough to give people heart attacks, the expression on her face was completely foreign to them. No more was there a smirk of superiority or a cruel tinge to her glare that made most of them fearful for their well-being. In its stead was a warm, welcoming expression than only served to enhance her delicate beauty even further. Not once did she pick a fight with Erza or insult any of the other members. In fact, it was the opposite. As she seemingly took over the barmaid duties, she was always courteous and willing to lend a hand while serving the other members their drinks and food. It was a real strange sight for most of them who became accustomed to the Demon Mirajane over the years.

It was quite unfortunate that it took the death of her sister to bring out this warmer side of her though. Even if she looked fine on the surface, others like the Master and Erza knew that she was still struggling with her internal demons, the metaphorical kind. The guilt still ate away at her heart and if you looked behind the warm eyes that she now sported, you would see the crippling pain that she was hiding away.

Many didn't understand why she was now working as the barmaid instead of doing missions. If fact, she hasn't been on a mission since the 'incident'. What the others didn't know was that Mirajane had lost the ability to wield her magic. Well…lost isn't the apt word to use. More like her state of mind made her unable to fully call upon her magic like she used to. Magic is a fickle thing. It is tied to ones emotions and one's mental fortitude. In Mira's unfortunate case, she had lost complete confidence in not only herself, but her magic as well. That kind of mind-set is crippling to mages. She was subconsciously rejecting her own magic which in turn placed a mental block on her ability to wield it. Even knowing this, it was a difficult thing for one to overcome. Mira, unfortunately, gave up on magic and her need to wield it. Settling for a simple job as a barmaid instead for a steady source of income. The scars that she was forced to endure due to what she perceived as the fault of her magic left her in this state and it would take something drastic if she were to ever regain her ability to use it again.

The other exception was Natsu. For the last two months, he's been taking jobs non-stop and completing them with alarming efficiency. He not only does them with a new found proficiency but he also seemed to curb his more destructive habits. Not to say that there wasn't any collateral damage but he seemed to be slowly lessening the damage he does to his surroundings, much to the Masters delight. He also hasn't been spending any time in the Guild like he used to. The only time people ever see him these days is when he comes in for a mission after which he leaves and isn't seen for days or even sometimes weeks depending on the job and the reward. His personality also seemed to have been overhauled, just like Mirajane.

Whereas before he was warm, energetic and radiated positivity and always up for a Guild brawl or causing mischief…nowadays he was a lot colder and aloof. The murderous glares that he would send those that tried to question him was bone chilling in terms of the wrathful emotions that they contained. He never spoke a word to anyone, not even Master. It was also noticed that he looked a little buffer in terms of his physique, but not overly so. He also walked a lot more fluidly than before, displaying that he had been training his body extensively. He would only come into the Guild, grab a request for approval and leave. It wasn't the most desirable relationship with the Guild and the others were getting worried about him.

Erza tried on a few occasions to get him to open up to them, but the amount of hatred that would burn in his eyes as he silently glowered at her made even the great Titania want to shrink a little into herself. Despite her seemingly confident personality, Erza was a pretty insecure girl beneath all her layers of armour and seeing the way Natsu, whom she considers a friend, glaring at her with such hatred brought up all the horrible nightmares that she locked away about her past where something similar happened with another one of her close friends. She didn't know what she had done to earn the ire of the [Dragon Slayer], but she wanted to help him. To steer him from the path of darkness that she thought he was going down. The problem being that she didn't have the confidence in herself to confront him about the things which she herself was still haunted by, something that he never failed to remind her about. This was especially so after the first time she confronted him a month after Lisanna's death.

 ***Flashback***

Things were tense in the Guild hall as the eyes of the regular members were nervously glancing at the bar where the scarlet haired swordswoman sat. The scowl on her face and the visible signs of the anger that was bubbling within her made a few cower towards the entrance in case they needed to make a quick escape.

She has been like this for the last two weeks, coming in everyday and sitting at the bar before silently glaring at the door. She stopped taking jobs and didn't leave the Guild until closing. It was obvious that she was waiting for someone and the others figured out who it was easily.

They honestly didn't envy Natsu at this moment. Erza's foul mood only worsened the longer she had to wait where it got to a point that the others were sure she would develop the ability to reduce someone to ashes with her frightening glare alone.

Gray was cursing the Master for being away at the regular meeting at a time like this for he was sure there was blood going to be spilt soon. His only consolation was that it wouldn't be his blood…probably.

Mira was also a bit anxious, not only for Erza's building temper but also at the thought of seeing Natsu again. Even though he was taking jobs, she only got back to the Guild recently having taken over the barmaid duties. She hasn't seen him since she told him of Lisanna and Happy's deaths and she was honestly nervous at seeing him again. Not because she disliked him or anything, more like the opposite.

She was worried about his opinion of her as well as her role in the events of the death of his loved ones. She can still clearly remember the horrible words she said to him when he asked her if he could come along with them on that day. It made her wince when she remembered her cruelty. The sad part was that it wasn't even the first time, or the worst thing that she has said to him. She had a laundry list shameful deeds when it came to others, especially Natsu. She was scared that he would hate her for her actions, not just towards him in the past but also because of Lisanna and Happy's deaths. She wanted to make amends with him. She wanted to atone for her past actions. But most importantly, she wanted to be his friend. That was all she ever wanted from him. Her application left much to be desired and her attitude was completely counter-productive to her aims, but she wanted to be friends with Natsu.

Normally during her interactions with Natsu, her inflated ego would get in the way and she would say something hurtful to get some reaction out of him, but she wasn't that person any longer. Her ego and her pride was all but gone. She had lost everything and hit rock bottom with nothing left to lose. So she would take this opportunity to make up with Natsu and connect with him. This was something that she felt that she had to do, not just for herself, but for Natsu as well. It was especially important as she felt that if there was anyone that understood the pain that he was going through, it would be her. It was unfortunate, but there was a chance they could bond over the death of the ones they loved. Mira wanted to be there for him. She knew that she could never replace Lisanna, no matter how hard she tried, but the very least that she could do was take care of the man that her sister loved so dearly. She wanted to support him, to help him and to be there for him. Even though she had a crush on him, she wasn't sure if there would ever be anything romantic between them. Not just because she used to bully him, but because she was Lisanna's older sister and she didn't want Natsu to feel that she was trying to fill the void left by Lisanna. If anything ever did blossom between them, she would be happy to build upon it. But for now, she was far too broken to try anything. She would settle for being by his side and helping his whenever he needed it. She owed it to Lisanna.

Erza was quietly stewing in her seat. She was waiting for days for the pink (Natsu would argue that it's salmon) haired fire mage to arrive. He was gone for a week when his job clearly wouldn't take more than a day. He didn't give her any notice and he didn't have the courtesy to inform them of whatever activities that he would be involved in that led to him being gone for so long. Needless to say, Erza wasn't a very happy camper right now.

Her worries were compounded by the look she had seen in Natsu's eyes when she last saw him on the day that he took the Vulcan extermination mission. There was a lot of anger, hatred and resentment in his eyes. Something that looked completely out of place on the normally jovial [Dragon Slayer]. She would never say it out loud, but she was afraid. Not of Natsu specifically, but the circumstances that he found himself in and what it could eventually lead to. She had seen something similar in the past. She was still haunted by the nightmares of the day when her entire world crumbled. When her friend and someone that she admired greatly, Jellal, fell into the darkness and let the madness consume him. The vile and evil feeling that Jellal had given off made her skin crawl just thinking about it. She failed to save her friend on that day and as a result, she lost all of the people she had come to care about and was forced to live with the torment that her inaction caused. It was a mistake that she regretted making and one that she vowed that she would never repeat.

Which was why she was fretful about seeing Natsu again. On that day a few weeks ago, she froze from the flashbacks of Jellal that she was having when she saw Natsu and as a result didn't get the chance to confront him. But now she would nip this issue in the bud. She refused to let someone as bright and cheerful as Natsu give in to his dark side. He was meant to burn brightly, like a beacon of hope and courage. She refused to lose another person she cared about to the darkness of this world. She would do everything she could to pull him out of it, even if she had to beat him half to death and drag him out of it. She was a woman on a mission and she refused to accept failure, not again. Never again.

The doors of the Guild slowly creaked open as the elusive [Dragon Slayer] ambled through the doors. He didn't stop to take stock of the situation in the Guild or even greet any of the members. Instead, he just walked over to the request board once again and took his time going through the requests, ignoring everything else.

Mira looked on in concern at seeing this side of him, having not experienced the new attitude of Natsu. As one who was used to feeling the negative emotions of the Demons that she housed, she could practically taste the negativity that was bleeding off Natsu. She cringed at the feelings that she was feeling and was having a hard time properly processing that fact that they belonged to someone who always seemed to be a beacon of positivity. The fact that he seemed to be completely indifferent to everyone else was also quite alarming. She had heard of this happening from the others whenever Natsu came in for a job, but she never thought it would be this bad. It was deeply troubling for the young woman who could do nothing but watch the scene unfold, having vary little confidence to confront him just yet. Especially considering the mood he seemed to be in.

Erza had no such compulsions. As soon as Natsu walked through the door, she was on her feet. Her predatory gaze stalking him as he walked across the room. She was waiting to see if he approached anyone but when it was clear that he had no such intentions, she marched over to him intent on giving him a piece of her mind. As her armoured footsteps drew closer to him, he made no intention of acknowledging her presence which only irked her even further.

As soon as she got within a few feet of him, a golden glow engulfed her right arm as her standard double sided sword appeared in her arm before she pointed it at Natsu, holding it just under his chin. The tension in the Guild hall skyrocketed at the provocative move and there were more than a few nervous murmurs. What worried them even further was that even with a sword to his throat held by the fearsome Titania, Natsu still didn't react in the slightest. The angry twitch of Erza's eyebrow told them that this wasn't going to end well…for Natsu that it.

"Enough of this!" Erza roared angrily as he arm started trembling in rage. "I've had enough of your childishness Natsu! I can understand that you are going through a tough time but that doesn't give you the reason to shut out everyone else! Your nakama are here to help you, but if you constantly walk in here and act like they don't matter then I'm going to have to take drastic actions to remind you of what Fairy Tail is all about." She finished in a threatening tone of voice that sent shivers down the spines of the others, knowing full well the danger of provoking Titania's wrath. Natsu never took his eyes off the request board throughout Erza's little speech nor did he give any indication of reacting which only pissed her off even further. She was going to berate him once again, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Natsu's voice was heard for the first time since the day he was told of Lisanna's death.

"Childishness?" He spoke out in a questioning tone. The dead tone of his gruff voice made a few cringe uncomfortably. Natsu looked at Erza out of the corner of his eyes with such intensity that it almost made her take a step back. "This coming from the person who currently has a sword to the throat of her apparent 'nakama', threatening them to speak instead of asking like a civilised person? I may not be the most educated person around but even I know enough to know that your choice in a conversation opener leaves much to be desired." Natsu stated dryly causing Erza to wince. "Honestly, with 'friends' like you, who needs enemies."

Erza was left gaping at him. Normally Natsu would yield to her whenever she became forceful and cease all forms of resistance. It wasn't just Natsu either, most people in the Guild knew better than to argue with her. Which was why she was unsure of what was currently happening as she was in uncharted territories. She never imagined there would come a day where Natsu would so openly defy her. The fact the there was so much bite in his tone when he said the word 'nakama' and 'friends' left her fearful of his state of mind. Her worries seem to have been well founded in terms of him changing, and not for the better.

"Wha! Natsu! How can you say something like that! We are all nakama here, we always have each other's back. That's the way of Fairy Tail! How dare you imply that we would ever do anything to bring harm to you! I can tolerate your destructive tendencies and even this obsessive need to complete jobs that you seem to have picked up…but I will not allow you to besmirch the honour of Fairy Tail!" She thundered at him angrily as he magic started increasing. Natsu turned to face her this time, wholly ignoring the sword that was still at his throat once again, and he gave her a smile. There was nothing pleasant about it though. It was a vile and sardonic, perfectly projecting his current state of mind. He eyes were the perfect mirrors to his broken soul as they glared hatefully at Erza so much so that she could almost feel the prickly sensations stabbing her skin. It was an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience, one that she would never have imagined that she would be forced to endure by someone like Natsu. It seemed as though they had underestimated how badly losing Lisanna and Happy affected his state of mind.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Natsu prodded, much to the confusion of the highly emotional Erza. Seeing her look of uncertainty, he decided to elaborate. "Dish out the regular beating. I have places to be and a mission to complete. I don't have time to entertain whatever stupid notion you can up with in that thick head of yours. After all, Erza Scarlet can only solve her problems through violence and beating people into submission, yes? For all of your talk of protecting, causing pain is all you ever seem to be good at." He said scathingly. His remarks his closer to home than he ever realised as Erza had flashbacks to the Tower of Heaven. Of how she was forced to abandon her friends, her family. The sense of hopelessness she had felt was rearing its ugly head once again and she couldn't handle it. "Come to think of it, we aren't that different you and I. We are both similar in that destruction as all we ever seem to be good at." She trembled with unbridled fury as she directed her own glare at Natsu for bringing up such horrible memories. His continuous comments only served to fuel her anger. The other members of the Guild were scrambling to get out of the way, fearful of the bloodbath that they were sure was about to come. "Oh? There's that famous temper. You have a nice glare going on there. I can almost feel your anger. Well, go ahead then…take a swing at me. Don't worry, I won't defend myself. I'm not arrogant enough to believe I stand a chance against you just yet. Would you prefer it if I turned around…that way you could stab me in the back? It would be a nice narrative to go with the situation wouldn't you agree?" He questioned sarcastically as he turned around and offered his back to Erza which took all the wind out of her sails as she looked at him in shock at his insinuations.

Mira gazed sadly at Natsu's back. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. She couldn't believe how drastically the sweet boy she used to know had changed. Dare she say it…he almost reminded her of herself with his bad attitude. She wanted to speak to him…to open up to him…but she was scared. Looking at how he is now only solidified her fears. She was a coward. This wasn't news to her. She was always running away from her problems. She was always running away from her feelings. That was one part of her that it seemed would never change. For now, she doubted that she would be able to confront him, not with the mood he seems to be in nor with her lacking confidence. She had no choice but to bide her time until she could once again stand tall and shoulder her fears and her burdens with a straight back.

Erza's eyes were wide as she looked at Natsu in horror. She couldn't believe that Natsu of all people would imply that she was the kind of person who would stab him in the back. She may not have been the easiest person to be around but she would never betray any of her friends. The fact that Natsu, whom she considered a close friend, would imply such a thing cut her deeply. He already knew that, so why was he saying such hurtful things. Once again, he probably wasn't aware of it, but his words caused Erza more pain than any physical injury ever could. The fact that her friend looked at her with such hatred in his eyes brought out her deepest rooted fears. She saw the faces of Simon, Millianna, Wally and Shō glaring at her with similar looks in their eyes coupled with the sting of betrayal. Those were her darkest fears. They were what haunted her nightmares. She had abandoned her friends to be alone with a mentally unstable Jellal. Who knew what lies he had fed them and what they must now think of her. Her body shook as her mind was assaulted by these images. She pushed them to the back of her mind though, forcing them away and to be dealt with when she was in the solitude of her room. She focused on trying to reach out to another friend of hers, one that was right in front of her and who seemed to be slowly slipping away into the darkness.

"N-Natsu…" She muttered sadly as she stared at him in disbelief as if seeing a completely different person. "I…I don't know why you are acting this way…but…are we not your family? I know you are going through a tough time right now, I can empathise with that…which is why it's so important that you open up to us. We're your friends, your family…we want to help you get through with what you're dealing with…but we can't if you shut us out…please…Natsu…Let us help you." Erza pleaded almost desperately. The others looked on with bated breath, each with different emotions warring within them.

"Family?" Natsu whispered, getting everyone's attention despite his voice never raising an octave above a whisper. "That's rich coming from you, Scarlet. For all your preaching of 'family' and the bonds of 'nakama'…you seem to do the exact opposite of what you say. For the five years that I've been in this Guild…I haven't seen you bond with anyone. You do everything in your power to keep everyone at arm's length, refusing to let anyone in. You dish out regular beatings to your 'family' for the most minor infractions and seem to revel in a position of authority and control. You come into the Guild every day and sit at the counter eating strawberry cheesecake…alone…without interacting with your supposed family in anyway other than beating them up. When it comes down to it…you're are even more of a loner than I used to be. They say that charity begins at home…so before you start going around preaching to me about 'family' and 'nakama'…perhaps you should shed that suit of armour you constructed around yourself first, you fucking hypocrite." Erza looked stricken at his words, mostly because of the air of truth that they contained. She could see some of the other members looking at each other and murmuring to themselves in agreement at what he said. Erza knew that she couldn't rebuttal as she had no way of denying his statement…because it was the truth. She had deep seeded trust issues and purposely kept to herself to spare herself the pain of betrayal should it ever happen. It wasn't something that she was proud of and she tried to work on it, but it proved too difficult for her to move past her mind's natural reaction. Natsu plucked a request off the board and walked towards the counter, but not before stopping beside Erza. "I'm not sure why you are up in arms about what I do with my time, Scarlet. If anything, I'm taking inspiration from you. You of all people have shown me that there can be strength found on the path of solitude." After saying his piece, he walked towards Mira at the bar leaving Erza frozen on the spot.

"Hello Natsu." She greeted him with a sweet smile, but there was a tinge of nervousness in her voice. Natsu just stared at her before quirking an eyebrow at her seemingly changed personality.

"Mirajane." He nodded blankly before presenting his request for approval. Mira winced at his dead tone of voice and the indifferent look he gave her before she quietly stamped his mission for approval. She tried to gather up the courage to speak to him, but she couldn't and simply wilted under his gaze. Natsu took the request back without saying a word and turned to leave.

"Good luck." Mira wished him quietly, mostly to herself, in a tone that was barely a whisper. What she forgot was that Natsu had enhanced hearing thanks you his magic and heard her as clear as day. He paused for a brief second on his way out, before he twitched briefly and continued his exit. Leaving a stunned and baffled audience in his wake.

 ***Flashback End***

Gray had tried, on a few occasions, to start a fight with Natsu as they usually would do…but he was completely ignored. Natsu didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Master Makarov as well tried to reach out to the boy, but he was met by stony silence and a blank stare that brought him no closer to helping one of his children. It was even more worrying for the Master as he had felt Natsu's magic skyrocket in those few months. It wasn't just larger but the quality and the potency of it was something to take note of. He wasn't that far off from Erza's level and he would probably surpass her in a few months if he kept improving in the same way.

It was a sorry state of affairs that had seemingly resulted in two of their members switching roles so to speak. With Mirajane stepping into the light and doing her best to make people happy, and Natsu entrenching himself in darkness for his own purposes.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Natsu let out a deep breath, which materialised as a misty cloud in front of him due to the cold, as he allowed his magic to flow freely within his body. He was currently standing in a large open expanse of land that was covered in snow and ice. It was quite far up north of Fiore. He had taken a request to exterminate an abnormally large Wyvern for a local town with the reward of 450 000 Jewels. He took the request not only for the large reward and the opportunity to fight a powerful beast, but also for the opportunity to use the extreme conditions of the north to further train his magic. The absolute zero temperatures allowed him to better control and enhance his already powerful [Fire Magic]. It was difficult to train in these harsh conditions, but Natsu welcomed the challenge as he pushed his magic and his body to its absolute limits.

The last two months have been astoundingly productive for him in terms of expanding his power and his knowledge. The first thing he did with the large reserve of Jewels he's had saved up was to hire a proper tutor to teach him how to read and write. It was something that he's always hated being made fun of and a weakness that he wanted to cover immediately. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take him very long to get the hang of it. His rudimentary 'lessons' with Erza along with the fantastic teaching ability of his tutor had him completing his objective in under two weeks. He could now read and write properly which was something that he needed if he wanted to improve his magic. Being a mental discipline, Natsu had always neglected the more intellectual aspects of magic, focusing more on the physical applications which isn't surprising when you consider the type of magic that he uses.

Thanks to his more solid grasp on his literacy skills, he was able to comprehend books about magic more clearly. During his travels over these two months, he has visited many libraries in an effort to expand not only his knowledge but his magical repertoire as well. He has every confidence in his [Dragon Slayer Magic], and is continuously training it and improving his spells, but he wants to have a little more in his arsenal and not just break out his signature magic on every Tom, Dick and Harry he comes across.

It was hard going at first, as despite his better reading skills, Natsu was not an intellectual person. He was a man of action and had high levels of kinaesthesia. He was more adept at 'learning from doing' so to speak. On most occasions, he has to use every ounce of self-control that he has to keep him focused on the text in front of him. Even though his body's natural response was to run off to find an adventure, he knew that this was a necessary evil for him to improve himself. He was tired of being an idiot with no knowledge of the world. He wanted to be better, as a mage and as a person, not just for himself but for Lisanna and Happy as well. He didn't believe much in the afterlife, but after their deaths, he held out hope that it did exist and as such his loved ones were watching over him. It was something that got him through his low points and he resolved himself to make them proud of him.

Eventually, after spending hours upon hours combing through texts, reading became a somewhat ingrained habit for Natsu, similar to eating or sleeping. He absorbed information about the lore of Fiore along with anything he could find about Dragons and [Dragon Slayers]. There wasn't much information to go on, but it was more than he knew before. He focused on expanding his arsenal of [Fire Magic], as well as any supplementary spells that would aid him. [Re-Quip] was one of the first spells that he learnt. It was a relatively simple spell and while he was nowhere near the level of Erza, in terms of mastering it, it was enough for him as he didn't use it for battle but instead for storage and easy access of his items.

There were many different streams of [Fire Magic] that were available as they were some of the most common forms of magic. From the [Purple Flare] that Macao used, to the similar string of magic called [Prominence Fire]. There were cold flames, purifying flames along with a whole rainbow of colours of fire, each with its own attribute. Natsu's interest was piqued greatly at the thought of learning these different forms of his magic. By learning various branches of [Fire Magic] he could become more familiar with the attribute as well as deepen his understanding of fire which could lead to him improving his [Dragon Slayer Magic]. He knew it would take him a while to learn them, but he had time. Besides, he already had an almost expert level grasp on arguably the most difficult type of [Fire Magic] in existence so the others, which can be seen as lesser forms, shouldn't be as difficult for him to learn as it would be for others.

He also set the foundation to revamp his existing [Fire Dragon Slayer] spells. While it wasn't much of a problem before, it occurred to him now that his current arsenal was far too generic in terms of the spells he used. He wanted to put his own spin on the existing spells that he knew and tweak them a bit to suit his personality.

He was still a far way off, in not just reconstructing his [Dragon Slayer Magic] but also mastering new forms of [Fire Magic]. He wasn't too worried though for he knew that it wouldn't take him long to get the hang of it now that he had a solid foundation to work from.

Though he focused heavily in filling the gaps in his education, Natsu never once neglected his physical training. If anything, he amped it up compared to before. He pushed his body to breaking limits and the results were visible. His body was far more toned and musculature was becoming more defined. He could feel his physical strength increasing as well. This was evident on the occasions that he's had to fight on missions. His hits were far more damaging compared to before and he liked it.

Something else that he dedicated his time to, was trying to understand the new magic that he seemingly unlocked. His crimson flames, that's what he called it for he didn't have a name for it yet, were a fascinating thing. They were undoubtedly powerful, on the level of his [Dragon Slayer Magic], but the flames had a different property compared to his normal flames. His [Dragon Slayer Magic] was built for destruction, plain and simple, while the crimson flames on the other hand seemed to 'eat' away at anything that it came into contact with. He didn't fully understand the limits of it yet and he was going mainly on what he observed. The first time he used the flames against those Vulcans, it supposedly evaporated all the liquid within their bodies, turning them into dried up husks. That was mostly to do with his state of mind. He realised quickly that his new magic was tied to his negative emotions and as such they could affect what it did. When he first used it, he wanted to vaporise those Vulcans, he wanted them to suffer…so his flames answered his call and vaporised them from the inside out in a gruesome manner. When he practiced with them later, when his mind was in an arguably more stable state, he realised that he could control the amount of damage his flames did. He could vaporise targets, like he did with those Vulcans. He could burn them regularly. He could also have his flames 'eat' away at whatever they came into contact with, slowly corroding whatever he targets. In this state, it takes up more magic for him to apply as the flames will need to burn for a prolonged period of time to complete their objective. It was pretty draining but he figured that with intense training, he could cut down on the magical cost and the effort that took him to use it. He was sure that there were many more secrets to his new magic and he knew that he would figure the rest out eventually.

The big question though, was how did this magic come about? Natsu was a straightforward person, as such, he never dwelled much on the past and was always looking to move forward. Until recently that is. Now that he spent so much time reflecting…he started asking himself questions that he never cared about before. For example, he never once questioned the fact that his father was an enormous Fire Dragon. It was something that was natural to him and he never cared for anyone that said otherwise. Now that he was thinking more about the reason for Igneel's abandonment of him, he started to wonder who his real parents were. Did they throw him away too? Did he have any siblings? Any cousins? Did he have any friends before he met Igneel? When he thought about these things…he realised that he couldn't remember how he met Igneel. Moreover, he doesn't have any memories before his time with Igneel. He was always just 'with' the Fire Dragon so nothing else mattered to him in that respect. But now, now he became a bit suspicious of the circumstances around himself.

It didn't make much sense to him. Was there something special about him that such a powerful Dragon chose him to be the bearer of his magic? He became suspicious of Igneel's intentions as well as the reason he was abandoned. It made little sense to him and he felt that he was missing something. During his time combing through different libraries, he came across many different texts, including ancient ones. This was an important discovery because he recognised that he could perfectly understand the ancient form of language. That made no sense to him because he remembers what Erza taught him and he knows what his tutor taught him, and none of them taught him how to read the old form their continents language. So how did he know how to read it? When he tried to write in that old form, his hand moved seemingly all on its own as he perfectly wrote his name. It was like the action was deeply engrained into his muscle memory. While he told the Guild that Igneel taught him how to read and write, the more he thought about it, the more he knew that wasn't the case. He couldn't remember Igneel teaching him any literacy skills. Why would a dragon know how to anyway? He knew that someone else taught him, but whenever he forced his mind to think about it, all he got was a blurry image and a faint outline before his head started throbbing painfully.

It was a start though. He never had that sliver of a memory before and he could only think that it was linked to his new magic. Maybe the more he used his magic and the more he understood it, the clearer his visions would become. This revelation was like an oasis to a man dying of thirst for Natsu. He had lost his purpose in life and became something of an empty shell for these last two months. He didn't know where to go and he didn't know what to do. All he could do was take missions and train as hard as he could as that was all he knew how to do. But now…now he had a lead. He had something to grasp at. It may not be the most glamorous, but he found a new purpose. He would uncover the mysteries around himself. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know who he really was and where he came from. He felt it deep within himself. There was something more to him than he was told. A deeper purpose to his life. He was probably grasping at straws at this point, but he was a broken man reaching out for anything that could keep him afloat in this cruel world.

He would continue his training and would continue to increase his strength. For one, he refused to be weak any longer. Another reason was that he felt that the stronger he became, the more paths would open up to him and the more avenues he would have to get the answers he was looking for. For now, he would continue to train and he could continue to complete missions. He short term aim was to become an S-Class Mage. Not only were those missions higher paying, but they also afforded him the opportunity for tougher competition which would help him improve his magic and give him more battle experience. Not to mention, there were more obscure rewards and rare items often attached to S-Class quests. Those could prove vital in his quest to understand himself.

He vowed to continue his hard work and leave Makarov with no choice but to nominate him for the S-Class trials. He knew that the old man would be hesitant about it due to him disassociating himself with most of the Guild, not to mention Erza would argue the same against his nomination. But as it stood, there were no other promising candidates, apart from Cana, that could be put forward. He knew that he could take the girl in a fight so he wasn't too worried about her. Natsu knew though, that regardless of his personal feelings, Makarov would have to nominate him if he met the criteria. It was the way of the Guild and if there was one thing that the old man preached about, it was those stupid traditions of Fairy Tail.

He knew that he had a few more months till the trails and he dedicated himself to intense training and rapid mission completion. Even though he deeply missed Lisanna and Happy and would anything to bring them back if he could, he couldn't argue against the success he's had now that he was alone. For all of Fairy Tail's boasting about family, he had come to realise that they did nothing but hold him back. When he first came to the Guild, he readily bought into their philosophy…and look where it got him. In the five years he's been with them, his progress as a mage had stagnated. He was a [Dragon Slayer], taught by one of the most powerful dragons ever. So why was he weaker than people like Erza and Mirajane? Why did his progress slow down so much? He came to an understanding recently, that the Guild was holding him back. When he saw the kind of progress that he made in only two months of non-stop training, he realised how much time was wasted. If he trained this hard for the last five years instead of goofing off in the Guild hall…would he have already made S-Class by now? Would he have been able to take the emergency S-Class mission instead of Mirajane? Would Lisanna and Happy still be alive? There were so many 'what if's' and Natsu spent a lot of time stewing on those thoughts. It wasn't necessarily healthy, but it didn't stop him from dwelling on the past.

He would use the pain of his losses as fuel to push him forward. He would walk this path of solitude without hesitation for there was nothing else for him in this wretched world.

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _Another chapter out. This one is actually shorter than usual but I didn't deem it necessary to write more as it would just become repetitive. As you have seen, this is mainly an info dump kind of chapter. I wanted to set the stage for Natsu's power and his interactions with the Guild for future arcs._

 _ **Natsu:**_ _From this chapter, I wanted to point out the erratic nature of his personality. He can be a bit calm and thoughtful but he can also be quite spiteful as well. At this point in time, he's a giant contradiction of emotions and he finds himself a bit lost. His state of mind isn't entirely stable and that shows with personality. He also has a bit of a love/hate relationship with Igneel at this point. But he's still young so he will eventually find his own path…probably in the next chapter or the one after you will see a more complete Natsu._

 _He will still be a bit of an asshole, but I want to make him an endearing asshole. I know I didn't specifically state it, but it was implied that he will be OOC. His deep hatred and anger will eventually mellow out and he will have a greater control of his emotions for the purpose of better utilising his magic. That isn't to say he will be stoic or anything like that because Natsu is an emotional person by nature. I like to think of him more along the likes of Laxus personality wise, but not as insane ot deliberately cruel. He will taunt and prod people who try to get in his face, mainly Erza, for reactions._

 _Now, concerning his power level…I stated last chapter the he will be around the level of Laxus when cannon rolls around. As stated by a reviewer, Natsu trained non-stop for a year and got to the level where he easily able to one-shot Bluenote…who Gildarts struggled to beat. Keep in mind that Bluenote had 8 years since that fight against Gildarts to increase his power. So to me, if Natsu put his all into his training, he would be around Laxus's level if not higher during cannon as he has just under two years till then._

 _ **Crimson Fire:**_ _I extended the explanation of his new magic a bit in this chapter. I still haven't thought of a cool name for it yet, so if you guys can think of anything, give me a PM._

 _The first effect that I described and the one he used against the Vulcans last chapter was similar to Pakura's Shakuton, from Naruto for those of you that didn't pick up on that._

 _The second effect that I mentioned, is something that is similar to Barragan's Respira and The Mangekyou Sharingan's Amaterasu. The effects of Natsu's fire is nowhere near as deadly as those two, but the basic premise is there for you to get an idea of what the application of it actually means. In my mind, I can picture the flames lasting longer, like Amaterasu, depending on how much magic Natsu pumps into it and it will 'eat' away at whatever substance it comes across, similar to Respira but not as instantaneous._

 _I have a few more effects in mind, but again, if you guys have any ideas, feel free to PM me._

 _Just to clarify, his crimson flames isn't his Curse. Think of it as similar to a mutation born from his body due to his unique dual nature of being an Etherious born from a human that can still use magic. A portion of his magic was influenced by his demonic nature and it mutated it to have similar properties to his Curse._

 _ **Mirajane's lack of magic:**_ _While it was never explicitly stated in cannon, I think the reason I used above cuts pretty close to why she couldn't use her magic. To me, it's similar to Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei during the Nine Schools Competition where one of the competitors lost her ability to lose magic because of a moment of fear and despair causing her to lose faith in her magic._

 _ **Erza:**_ _I included a perspective for Erza in this chapter but I'm not sure how well I wrote her. This is going to be a bit of a rant up ahead, so if you're an Erza fan, this might upset you._

 _When I first got into Fairy Tail, I quite enjoyed Erza's character. She was powerful and outspoken while still managing to be cute and quirky. The thing that Fairy Tail does better than any other series is that they have absolutely badass women. When you think of Erza, Mira, Ultear, Kagura, Minerva, Brandish, Dimaria, Irene etc. They are all powerful, sexy and dangerous. Erza started off the same to me, and I thought that her interactions with Natsu were the best. Those two had the best chemistry, far better than Natsu and Lucy, and they seemed to be on course to be the cannon ship, at least to my mind._

 _And then the Tower of Heaven happened._

 _Erza's past was a horrible one and it helped make her a character that can be easily sympathised with. The ending of the arc with Natsu dragging her from, seemingly, the clutches of death had me thinking that those two ending up together were a foregone conclusion. But for some reason, Erza ending up having some kind of deep, fangirlish, Sakura-like obsession with Jellal. I mean, I don't mind Jellal as a character. I don't even mind him getting his redemption. But for him and Erza to end up as a cannon ship makes zero sense to me._

 _I mean, this was the same guy that forced her to abandon her friends to slavery, kept her in a state of mental torture for 8 years and turned her closest friends against her. Not to mention, he planned on using her as a sacrifice to 'revive' Zeref. Now…I know some people will point out that he was being controlled by Ultear…but I refuse to believe that!_

 _It had been stated on many occasions that Jellal is an extremely powerful mage. One of the most powerful in Fiore. He was a Wizard Saint when cannon started where he was about the age of 19. Ultear, for as powerful as she was…she was only around the level of Erza, maybe a tad stronger and it was proven that Jellal easily outstripped Erza in power. So I refuse to believe that Ultear had the ability to fully control Jellal's actions. To me, she probably use some possession magic initially just to give him that nudge in the direction that she needed him to go. As he got older and surpassed her power, I doubt she could influence him and control his every action with magic. Sure, she stayed around him and probably manipulated event to suit her needs, but at that point, I think that Jellal would have been in full control of himself. To me, he lost himself in his own darkness and insanity. He fell prey to his own delusions and made the decisions he did with full understanding of their consequences. Ultear opened the door for him, but he was the one that walked through. That's why, I firmly believe that he was in full control of himself during the Tower of Heaven arc. Maybe some of you see it differently, if so, please feel free to share your opinion with me._

 _Which is why I simply despise the Erza x Jellal pairing. She became so fixated on him that it took away from her character. She basically became like Juvia is for Gray, except there was no comedic value. I can't understand instantly forgiving someone just because they lost their memory. It doesn't take away from all their crimes committed in the past. To me, it made Erza look weak and desperate. I don't know, maybe I'm looking too deeply into it._

 _Anyway, apart from the fact the she was so fixated on Jellal…I hated the way Hiro turned Erza into a Dues ex Machina character. I mean, I'm all for powerful women…but Erza was absolutely fucking ridiculous!_

 _She beat Minerva with a broken leg. A broken fucking leg! How was she even standing? Why was her second origin something that had to be activated by command when everyone else just had larger containers? That to me was an ass-pull. If that wasn't enough…she destroyed a meteor…a motherfucking meteor…from arguably the most powerful woman in the world…with a single swing of her sword when every bone in her body was broken…what the fuck! How?! How is that even possible?! How did she stop both Gray and Natsu's attacks, when they were both pretty powerful at that point with Natsu tapping into his E.N.D power, without sustaining any damage?_

 _To me…her character became too unbelievable and too OP when she had no right to be. I don't mind her being more powerful than others, but at least make it believable. She just became a ridiculous side-show to me and I couldn't take her seriously anymore._

 _Anyway, this rant was something I just had to get off my chest. Concerning my story, Erza will have a somewhat important role in events as she will be looking to 'save' Natsu. As I stated in this chapter, she can see parallels between Jellal and Natsu and she wants to save him from himself before it's too late. She will be getting in his way a lot, and he will be getting on her nerves for his own amusement…so look forward to that._

 _Anyway, I'm not sure whether I should do the S-Class trails next chapter or skip straight to cannon. I don't really have motivation to do the trails as I don't have any ideas for it. The best I can come up with is doing a maze similar to the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you guys want to see him go through the trials, let me know or else I will just skip to cannon._

 _When I say cannon, it doesn't mean meeting Lucy either. I will probably start from the Phantom Lord arc as I want to get into some Juvia action._

 _I know I will skip a lot of the beginning arcs, but they aren't that important to me. Erza will be the one who brings Lucy to Fairy Tail, because she was hunting Natsu and Bora was using his alias. You can put the rest of the beginning arc together in your mind._

 _Concerning Natsu's alias…I need to think of a new one. Salamander makes no sense to me because Salamander's cant breath fire and that's like Natsu's trademark move. I was thinking Crimson Dragon/Demon or something along those lines. Please give suggestions._

 _That's it for me…Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter and look forward to more in the future. Please leave your reviews as I look forward to hearing what you guys think._

 _Lionheart021 out!_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all associated content belongs to Hiro Mashima.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names**

 _ ***Flashbacks***_

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Chapter 3: Trial by Fire**

There was a lot of excitement in the air as the members of the Fairy Tail Guild all congregated before the large stage at the back of the hall. There were quite a few murmurs of anticipation as they got ready for one of the more exciting events on the Fairy Tail calendar…the S-Class Promotion Trials.

This was an important ritual which determined the worthiness and the validity of the ability of the nominees to become an S-Class Mage. It was a process that all S-Class Mages of Fairy Tail went through. Most notable were Erza and Mirajane, who were promoted during the last two trials respectively. They also set an unprecedented record as the youngest mages to attain promotion.

Natsu sat at the back of the hall, away from the crowd as his sharp eyes surveyed the many faces in the hall. He would never voluntarily spend this much time in the Guild hall if he could help it. This was a one-time exception as he awaited the announcement from Makarov. He was supremely confident that he would be nominated. For him not to be would be a travesty, one that he would be sure to let the old coot know about. In the last 6 months since his life was struck by that awful tragedy, he achieved the best mission turnover rate. Not only did he complete more missions than any other Fairy Tail mage, he also caused the least amount of collateral damage. Oh it was tough going at first, but he eventually learned to curb his more destructive tendencies…at least in largely populated areas. Normally he wouldn't really care much about the damage he causes, but he decided to turn his missions into semi-training sessions. The way he saw it was that the fewer instances of damage that he causes implies that he has better control of his magic. Hence the reason that he did his utmost to keep his jobs clean. He treated them as control training exercises. It was difficult for him at first, especially considering the destructive nature of his [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic, but with the help of the newer branches of magic he learned as well as his less chaotic mind-set, he was able to get to a more than acceptable level.

His secondary reason for causing less destruction was also to corner Makarov into nominating him for the S-Class trials. He knew that he old man would have sensed his increase in magic power and would therefore know that he would be at an S-Class level, at least in terms of pure power. But he wanted to make sure that the old man would have no choice but to nominate him hence he cleaned up his act a bit. It also had the happy side effect of making him stand out as one of the few Fairy Tail mages that didn't cause wanton destruction. If only they knew.

Natsu knew the basic set up of the trials. It usually consisted of solving a problem of some sort and eventually fighting one of the current S-Class mages. He didn't think he would have a problem with the problem solving part as while he may have been a bit of an idiot before, he has always been extremely perceptive. That, coupled with his studying these last few months should arm him well enough to solve whatever problems they could throw at him. If not…well…he could just blow everything up.

As he looked around the hall, his eyes picked out the potential competition. There weren't many that actually qualified, at least according to him. There was Gray, but he was a high B-Class mage, a low A-Class of he was really pushed to his limits. He could have been better but he spent too much time frolicking around in the Guild. Natsu frowned when he thought about that. When he looked at Gray, he couldn't help but see what he could have become if he didn't get the cruel wake-up call that he did. He would have been messing around with the rest of these degenerates as well and would have neglected his training. He would have been weak and he doubted he would have even been in the contention of being an S-Class mage for a few years. It was a bittersweet thought for him, knowing why he eventually pulled up his socks and took his training seriously.

His eyes scanned the rest of the hall, but he didn't think there was anyone else of note. There were people like Laki, Bisca, Alzack, and even Max, who had the potential but they just weren't there yet. His only competition looked to be Cana.

She was nominated for the last two trials, but lost out to Erza and Mirajane. Which was quite baffling to Natsu. He never understood how Cana lost out to those two so easily. From what he could sense, her magical container was on par with both of them, if not a little larger. And while her magic may not have been the most destructive, she was definitely the one with the most versatility in the Guild. Looking at her now, even from this far away, he can feel the air of depression around her. He wasn't sure what that was about but as he scoured his memory, he remembered her being in a similar state during the last trials as well. That wasn't a good thing as her mentality could negatively affect her performance. That was probably why she hasn't progressed in ranking yet. He wondered if he should say something to her about it, but he decided not to. At least, not before they have to compete.

Despite what the others may think, he didn't hate anyone in Fairy Tail. It was more like strong dislike. Well…except Erza who just really pissed him off. He actually had no problems with Cana. She was always friendly on the occasions that they spoke. He just wouldn't say that they were friends. Passing acquaintances at best, but not close friends. They never really had that connection. He was fine with others like Levy as well. She was such a sweet and timid girl that it was impossible to dislike her. So while he may not care for most of the idiots in this Guild, he made a few exceptions like the two previously mentioned. They were kind to him in the past and he would return that kindness someday. It also helped that they were close friends with Lisanna and as such he wanted to make sure that he at least kept her friends safe in her absence. It was thoughts like that that helped him retain some of his old self. He didn't mind protecting them, but he didn't want to get close to them. There was too much pain and heartbreak awaiting him if he got too close to someone, only to lose them again. He would never admit it, but he was afraid of that possibility.

His attention was taken by Makarov who got on stage with Erza a step behind him. He cleared his throat before speaking in a loud, clear voice.

"All right, settle down you brats!" He shouted, getting quite from his audience. "As per Fairy Tail tradition, I will now announce the participants of the S-Class Promotion Exam." There were loud cheers from the Guild members who were treating this like festival. "There are only two mages who have been deemed worthy to take this year's exam. First, Cana Alberona." Cana didn't look overly happy but nodded her head nonetheless. She was an expected participant. "The second…Natsu Dragneel."

That brought silence to the hall as they all turned to look at the [Fire Dragon Slayer] sitting at the back of the hall. He didn't give an outward reaction, choosing instead to stare at Makarov. The others weren't expecting him to be nominated, but considering his mission completion record, they realised that it did kind of make sense.

Gray was gritting his teeth in frustration. He and Natsu were rivals for the longest time, they were basically even in terms of power. So how did Natsu get so far ahead of him? He didn't like it. He didn't like the feeling of being left behind.

Mira smiled at Natsu, happy that he was finally getting the recognition that he sought for so long. She was proud that he was able to make it this far in only a few months. She was sure if Lisanna was here, she would be over the moon for her best friend/love interest. While she still hasn't built up the courage to tackle the issues that they both seem to have, she has taken the opportunity to start small conversations with him whenever he comes in to get a mission approved from her. It isn't long, maybe a few sentences at best, but she could live with that. She would slowly build on that tiny foundation. For now, she decided that it would be appropriate to give him a small reward for him efforts.

Erza's face was a little pinched at the announcement. She was vehemently against Natsu being offered a place in the exam. Not because she felt that he lacked the power, but because she felt that he was a danger to himself and by extension to those around him. She felt that he wasn't ready to handle the responsibility of being an S-Class mage yet. She had argued with the Master about it and while he also felt that Natsu's mentality was worrying, it wouldn't be the Fairy Tail way to deny someone something they rightfully deserve because of personal bias.

Cana perked up a little at hearing the name of her competition. If this was a few months ago, she would have been confident of being able to get past Natsu and finally attaining the S-Class rank that she so desperately seeks. But now, she wasn't so sure. She could tell there was something different about him, that much was obvious to everyone. But she could tell that it ran much deeper that what was on the surface. There was something dangerous about him now, something that set her on edge a bit. Not because she thought that he would hurt her, even with his personality changing Cana was confident that Natsu would never be someone who could be cruel enough to do that, but because his magic gave off this feeling of danger, similar to Erza, Laxus and Gildarts. She was honest enough with herself to admit that she was jealous of Natsu. There was a point in time that she hated him, but that passed as quickly as it came due to how ridiculous it was. She was jealous of his closeness with Gildarts. Everyone could see that the [Crash] mage had taken a special liking to the [Dragon Slayer] and treated him like a son. She couldn't stand that and as such went through a phase of harbouring a deep dislike for Natsu. But she realised that it wasn't his fault and it eventually passed. She knew that Natsu didn't have it in him to be as vindictive as she thought him to be. Now though, his presence alone made him feel like an S-Class mage, which was why she was a bit nervous. She needed to pass this time. She hoped that the third time was the charm, but looking at Natsu, she didn't know if it would come to pass.

"The location of this year's exam will be held in the Calvo Canyon. Due to the nature of the exam, there will be no pairs this year. The two candidates will go solo. The details will be given just before the exam but know that our current S-Class mages, Erza and Laxus will be there to test your might. The exams will take place in seven days. Use that time to get yourself prepared and ready for action. I'm looking forward to a good showing this year. Good luck participants!"

There were lots of chattering going around with many people predicting the winner which led to many bets being placed. Usually Cana would be the one in charge of collecting bet money, but due to her being a participant, Macao and Wakaba were the ones doing the bookmaking.

Natsu sat quietly at his table while the others scurried around in excitement. The prospect of fighting Erza or Laxus got his blood boiling. There may have been many things about him that changed, but his love for fighting would never go away. The opportunity to test himself against two of the most powerful mages in the Guild had him almost salivating. This was a great opportunity to test the progress of his training. It would also be the first time he seriously fought such high level opponents. His missions usually consisted of eliminating beasts or taking out bandits or small time Dark Guilds. They usually didn't put up that big of a fight so he was itching to be pushed to the limits. He knew that he could take Erza. He was confident in his power, enough to say that he was now strong enough to defeat her. It wouldn't be easy though. For as much as he despised Erza and her self-righteous attitude, he respected her power as a warrior. He was sure she would make him work hard for it, but if he went all out he doubted she could stop him. Laxus though, was another kettle of fish. He was someone that was currently out of reach for Natsu. Even with the training that he's done, he knew he wasn't ready to defeat the likes of Laxus. He was positive that it wouldn't take that much longer to reach his level, but right now he wasn't there yet.

He wasn't sure if defeating an S-Class mage was a requirement. He doubted it though, or else nobody would become one as they would have had to defeat Gildarts which was impossible to him. He theorised that if you gave a performance that was satisfying to the one judging, presumably the S-Class mages and Master Makarov, then you would be promoted. In the event though, that defeating an S-Class mage was a necessity, he would need to avoid Laxus and somehow find his way to Erza. While some might call it cowardly, Natsu preferred to think of it as being pragmatic. In the past, he would have run head first towards Laxus. But now, he needed to get his priorities straight. He would fight the lightning mage eventually, but he needed to get to his level first.

Natsu's attention was taken by a plate of flaming turkey and French fries being placed in front of him. He looked up to see the warmly smiling face of Mirajane.

"I didn't order this." He stated bluntly. Her smile just widened in reply.

"I know. It's on me. Think of this as my way of saying congratulations for your achievement as well as a good luck for the exam." She replied sweetly. He stared at her intensely for a few seconds before picking up his utensils to dig in, causing Mira to brighten up with joy. Satisfied that he accepted her offering, she turned to go back to the bar before she heard his voice once again.

Natsu stared at her back in confusion and a little frustration. He wasn't sure how to deal with this 'new' Mirajane. He honestly wanted to hate her, to tear a strip out of her for her actions in the past as well as her role in Lisanna and Happy's demise, but he found that he couldn't…no matter how hard he convinced himself. After losing Lisanna and Happy, he wanted someone to blame, and Mirajane was the most convenient target, considering the history she had when it came to bullying him. It made it easy to rationalise all the anger and the hatred that he felt. The problem for Natsu, was that after what happened, she seemed to have undergone a change, just like he did. Except, hers was in the opposite direction. She was much warmer now, always having a gentle smile on her face. It made Natsu's stomach churn in anger and confusion. He honestly would have preferred it if she remained as 'The Demon' Mirajane, then he wouldn't have any qualms about bashing her face in. Now though, whenever he saw that sweet smile and that gentle look in her eyes, it reminded him so much of Lisanna and it made him falter. Her seemingly new-found kindness seemed to take all the wind out of his sails and his anger immediately abated and turned into confusion and weariness. He wasn't sure what kind of game she was playing at, but he resolved to stay as far away from her as possible. Not only because of the uncertainty that she caused within him, but also due to how much of Lisanna she reminded him of and it was far too painful to bear. It also didn't help that every time he looked into her eyes, he saw that she was just as broken as he was. Still though, he may have had his own set of problems, but he wasn't someone that was deliberately malicious, unless you count annoying Erza in which case he has no problems admitting his complicity, as such he would extend common courtesy to her even if he prefers to keep the woman at arm's length.

"Thank you, Mirajane." It was almost a whisper, but she heard it nonetheless. Her eyes became a little misty but the happiness on her face was captivating. She knew that he wasn't expecting a reply so she just nodded shakily before going back to her duties. There was a little spring in her step though, one that Makarov noticed causing him a smile.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It was quite a long way from civilisation, but the Calvo Canyon was the perfect spot for Natsu as it was completely desolate so he didn't have to worry about property damage. Currently, he was standing before Master Makarov with a focused looking Cana standing next to him. They were situated in a deep valley between the large rock formations of the canyon. He could see two large openings in the wall behind Makarov. They looked like caves, but Natsu was sure that they were more than that.

"This year's exam will be in the form of a labyrinth. There are two entrances behind me, each leading to an elaborate man made cave in the form of a maze. There will be traps that have been set, beasts that will have to be beaten, puzzles that have to be solved and an S-Class mage that you will have to get past. You will need to keep your wits sharp and have the courage to face down whatever dangers you may come across. The final objective of this labyrinth is to retrieve a palm size model of the Fairy Tail Guild. There is only one within the maze and it is your objective to get to the final room to retrieve it. It also needs to be stated that there will be a six hour time limit for this exam. If at any time you wish to withdraw, you need only smash the lacrima that you were given previously. Are there any questions?"

Cana was the one who raised her hand.

"If there is only one object to be retrieved, does that mean that only one of us will promoted?" She asked.

"Yes. If in the event that none of you retrieve the object, than neither of you will be promoted." Cana nodded her head solemnly in understanding. Natsu didn't look too affected by that piece of information as he was already in the zone. "Very well, if there no more questions…Good luck to you both. I look forward to a good showing. Your time starts…now!" Makarov said before using his magic to create a bang which was the signal for the start of the exam. Cana and Natsu burst into action, each taking their respective entrances.

Natsu slowly walked through the dimly lit cave, keeping his senses sharp and on the lookout for any danger. There wasn't much lighting in the cave, only the sparse amount of natural lighting from the cracks in the cave along with s few swarms of fireflies that lit the place up. So far his nose was picking up a variety of scents, most of which he couldn't identify. Some were out of place, so he could only assume that Makarov spread various scents within the labyrinth to nullify his heightened sense of smell. He realised that he would have to rely on his sight and his hearing more than others.

There were a few crossroads that he came across and because of the nature of the place, he decided to always take left turns in the event that he needed to get back to his original point. It was only when he was about 20 minutes into his walk that he encountered his first obstacle. As he stepped into a small clearing, a translucent purple barrier surrounded him with the tell-tale sign of [Runes] on the floor. He knew how this worked so he looked for the instructions. A poof was heard beside him as a large stack of books appeared beside him. The instructions were that he had to read the books, which were about the history of Fiore, and answer the sheet of 100 questions that was amongst them.

Natsu knew that he could get this done eventually, but he also knew that it would take a large chunk of his time. He didn't want to wait around for that when he had an easy way out of this trap. He lifted up his left hand before an orb of crimson flames materialised above his palm before he gently lobbed it at the ground where the [Runes] were located. The flames crept towards the [Runes] before it slowly started to 'eat' away at the magic.

This was an effect that Natsu discovered about his crimson flames, or his [Flames of Desolation] as he liked to call it. If he directed them in the right way, they had the potential to burn away any magic they come into contact with. Of course, he isn't at a high enough level yet to deal with magic like Mirajane's **Soul Extinction** or Laxus's **Raging Bolt**. The drawback of his ability is its slow speed, where in most cases the magic could overpower the effect. He knew that he would eventually overcome that handicap the more he trains it, but for now it was perfect to get past this trap as [Runes] take very little magic to set and they are static hence the ease at which his flames burned through the magic. It took only 4 minutes for the trap to shatter. Natsu nodded his head before continuing his walk.

His thoughts went to his unique flames as he walked. He spent a lot of time experimenting with them, trying to figure out their limitations. It was how he discovered their ability to burn magic itself. He was aware of Makarov always preaching to him about the [Flames of Emotion], but Natsu always thought that it was a metaphor. In fact, Natsu was sure that it was. He didn't think the old man was aware that he literally had such an ability at his disposal. As he expected, the more he trained his [Flames of Desolation] and the more he understood them, he clearer his memory became. He always knew that they were linked, but he was still unsure as to the significance of the relation. As best as he could understand, the more he understood and accepted the negative feelings within himself, the more he would understand about himself. It was an unfounded conjecture, but it was the only one that made sense to him. He came to understand that it may have been about balance. There had to be a healthy balance between the darkness and the light, and he somehow represented both of those aspects in his body. Therefore, the more unbalanced he became, the further away from his true self was. He needed to find the middle ground and find the equilibrium within himself.

He had to stop his thoughts as he was forced to doge a large boulder that was thrown at him. He nimbly sidestepped the projectile before turning his attention to the culprit. It was a Gorian. Standing at least 8 feet tall and ugly. Natsu had a real issue with these beasts as he remembered the time one of them once captured Lisanna when they were playing in the forest. He was sure that this wasn't the real thing. If anything, it was probably created by Reedus using his [Pict Magic] and enchanted by Makarov to be a bit stronger than Reedus could manage. Natsu didn't care either way as he was a bit insulted that they thought something like this would pose a problem for him.

He clicked his fingers before a red magic circle appeared in front of him.

" **Prominence Typhoon"**

A large vortex of fuschia coloured flames came roaring out of the circle, smacking the Gorian dead-on, sending it flying through the wall on the far end. When the smoke cleared, it was shown to be knocked out with large burns on its torso. The magic keeping the Gorian conjured soon ran out and it vanished in poof of smoke. He found the ease of learning [Prominence Fire] a happy turn in his favour. He already hypothesised as such due to the apparent difficulty of [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic. [Prominence Fire] was far easier to tame and control. It proved to be pretty useful in taking out small fry like the Gorian he just faced. Natsu shook his head at the easy obstacle and attempted to move on, but he was stopped by another boulder flying his way. After deftly sidestepping the projectile, he spotted 4 more Gorian's. He had to stop himself at groaning in annoyance at seeing them. He had no time to play around though and he didn't feel like inhaling their stinky breath any longer than he needed to. He clicked his fingers once again to bring up a red magic circle.

" **Prominence Whip"**

Several tendrils of fire in the form of whips shot out of the magic circle and raced towards the Gorian's. They were far too slow and far too dumb to recognise the danger they were in, hence they were pierced by at least one whip each after which they were burned from the inside out by Natsu forcing more [Prominence Fire] into their bodies via the whip connecting them. He looked around the area once more to see if there were any more surprises. When he spotted none, he just nodded his head and went on his way.

His thoughts turned towards himself once again. Once he realised that he needed to find more balanced state of mind, he took to meditating for at least an hour a day. Similar to reading, it was a task that went completely against his nature. But he actually found some solace in the activity. To allow his mind to be calm and think deeply about what he needed to without disturbance. It helped him get in touch with his magic easier as well. This proved to be beneficial as while it took some time to see any actual results, he eventually got flashes of faces that were at first foreign to him, but eventually made him feel a sense of familiarity. The first, and most important, was a beautiful blonde woman with a warm smile and a motherly aura. He saw flashes of her teaching him how to read and he also saw her knitting the scarf he wore around his neck. He felt in his heart, that this woman was important to him. Her warmth and her loving smile made him feel at peace, like he was at home. It was one of the reason that he still wore his scarf, despite his current love/hate relationship with his father.

Another face was a young girl, who looked to be about 5 or 6, with short blue hair and a cute chubby face. She was always crying but Natsu felt that she was someone that he cared deeply about. He felt the need to protect her and to make her happy. He hasn't felt anything like that for anyone other than Lisanna. It was a bit jarring for him as he still had some blanks in his memories.

He also saw the face of a rough looking boy with long black hair and a nasty look in his eyes that he used to fight with a lot. While it seemed that they were rivals of sort, Natsu felt that there was a bond of friendship and brotherhood between them.

He saw two other faces as well. One of a boisterous blonde boy and another of a shy dark haired boy. They were both around the age of the blue haired girl and they were relatively new so to speak so he didn't have too many flashes about them.

He spent many nights wracking his brain, trying to figure out the significance of these people. He was curious about their role in his life as they clearly were important to him at some point. Why did he forget about them? Natsu had many faults, he would never deny that, but he refused to believe that he would ever forget about his friends. So what happened that caused him to temporarily lose the memories of first chunk of his life? He also took note of the fact that the beautiful blonde woman had taught him how to read and write which meant that she had taught him to read and write in the old style of the language. Why would she do something like that? It made zero sense to him. He needed to get to the bottom of it. More importantly, he needed to try to find the people whose faces he remembered, especially the little blue haired girl as he felt far too protective of her to leave her on her own for any longer than necessary.

He halted his thoughts as he walked into a room with a high ceiling and a single exit in the back. The problem being that the entrance was blocked by a translucent orange 'gate'. He looked around to find any clues before spotting a few slabs of stone with engravings on it. He saw a raised platform with a few empty spaces. He realised that it was a puzzle of sorts. While he could just burn away the 'gate', he decided against it as this portion was relatively simple so he didn't want to waste his magic. He took the three slabs that were in front of him and walked to the platform. He noticed that there were a few pieces missing and not all of the ones he had on hand fit. He took his time to walk around the room, looking for any more pieces and there plenty. He found 12 more pieces, but they were too much for the size of the spaces that were available. Some of them were decoys and it was his job to pick out the correct ones. When he put all the pieces together, he easily picked out the pattern that they all had in common. It was a map. Not just any map, a map of Magnolia. Once he got that figured out, it was easy for him. The geography of Magnolia was something he knew like the back of his hand. He spent so much time exploring the town and its surrounding areas that he knew it better than most. He slotted the correct pieces in the correct spaces and easily constructed the map of his current home town. Once he was done, the 'gate' dissipated and the path opened up for him.

If his body clock was anything to go by, he figured that he was in the labyrinth for at least an hour and a half. Not a bad return. He was confident in getting this done early so he can be on his way. As he turned the corner, he had to fight to keep the feral grin off his face as he spotted his next opponent.

She stood there imposingly, in all her armoured glory with her beautiful scarlet hair dancing behind her. Erza Scarlet was ready for action. Natsu couldn't believe his luck. He had hoped it would turn out this way and it seemed that Lady Luck was smiling down on him.

"Natsu." Erza greeted tersely. She hoped that the [Dragon Slayer] would come her way. She had argued with the Master against including Natsu but she was shot down. The only hope left was for her to take this into her own hands by giving him a beating that ensures that he can't progress. While it may go against the nature of the exam, she couldn't allow Natsu to fall any deeper into the abyss. She would harden her heart and do what needs to be done.

"Titania." Natsu greeted back coldly, never once taking his piercing eyes off his opponent. Erza winced imperceptibly at his cold greeting but collected herself almost immediately. He couldn't afford to falter at this stage.

They stood in silence, sizing each other up. No words needed to be said as they each knew what they needed to do so there was no reason to dally about with banter. It was Erza that made the first move.

" **Re-Quip: Flame Empress Armour"**

Erza's body was engulfed in a golden light before it faded away revealing her in one of her signature armours, the **Flame Empress Armour**. Her face was stony and her body language spoke volumes of her readiness for battle.

Natsu felt his heart beating faster, his power was pulsing beneath his skin. He had waited a long time for this. To have a serious fight with Erza. Judging by the look in her eyes, he could see that she had no intention of going easy on him. That was fine with him as he wouldn't have it any other way. Erza was an obstacle that stood in his way for the longest time. Both literally and metaphorically. Her strength was something that he strived to match but he could never get to her level. She remained an unreachable ideal for the longest time…but now things were different. This was the first true test of his new found strength and it was a make or break test. Natsu had no intention of losing. He had a lot of pent up aggression and anger towards Erza and he was going to put his training into practice by channelling those feelings into his flames and beat her down like he's always wanted to.

Natsu raised his fists in a fighting stance and lit them both on fire. He knew that the Flame Empress Armour supposedly halved the effects of [Fire Magic], but Natsu wasn't some run of the day fire mage. He was a [Fire Dragon Slayer] and he was extremely well versed in [Fire Magic], probably more than most in Fiore. His flames wouldn't be quelled by simple armour. Erza was in for a rude awakening if she thought that she would be protected by something so flimsy.

Without wasting another moment, Natsu kicked off the ground and charged headfirst into Erza with his fist cocked back. Erza, seeing his motion and having predicted it due to the many times she has seen him fight before, simply held up the flat side of her blade to intercept. Natsu's flaming fist smashed against the metal of the sword causing a small shockwave to be released.

Erza was honestly surprised by the amount of power behind the punch. She knew that Natsu had gotten stronger but she didn't expect him to pack this much of a punch yet. She had to dig her feet into the ground to keep herself from being blasted back. She strained her muscles in her arms as she swung her sword upwards, forcing Natsu in the same direction due to her using the force of his punch against him. Natsu wouldn't be deterred however, as he allowed gravity to pull him down and brought down a flaming foot towards her shoulder in the form of an axe kick. Erza anticipated such a move and intercepted the kick with her sword once again before using his momentum to push his foot off to the side, making him lose his balance in mid-air, before delivering a brutal thrust kick to his stomach causing him to fly back at high velocity into the rock formation of the cave. The wall crumbled at his impact before covering him in debris.

Erza waited patiently for Natsu to pull himself out of the debris, for she refused to believe that such a hit was enough to put him out of commission.

The rubble shook a bit before they exploded off his body. Natsu was seen with a few scuff marks on his body and a small trail of blood running down his mouth. He wiped it off with the back off his hand before wincing slightly as the pain he felt in his abdomen from the force of her kick. She really held nothing back with that one. He didn't mind it though, for it just excited him more. Erza's power was really something to behold. He may have honestly underestimated her a bit. For as much as he disliked her, he was humble enough to admit that Erza Scarlet was not someone that you wanted to take lightly. She could turn your lights off before you even knew what hit you. Feeling that he couldn't let her get away with dictating the pace of the fight, Natsu activated held out his palm towards her and a red magic circle appeared.

" **Rain of Fire"**

Multiple orbs of fire started racing towards Erza at surprising pace, similar to a machine gun. She was momentarily caught off guard by the new spell, having never seen something like this in Natsu's arsenal previously, before her body's natural reflexes kicked in and caused her to dance gracefully around the flames. She avoided most of them with her nimble movements and cut away those that got too close. It wasn't a difficult feat for someone at her level, but a few did graze her slightly. Not enough to cause alarming damage, but just enough to leave a few slight burns that she wouldn't even notice in the heat of battle. She knew that Natsu wouldn't have used an attack like that and expected it to seriously harm her, so he must have been up to something else. That was what she concluded.

" **Eruption"**

After hearing his voice, she tensed her body before looking around, waiting for the attack. She was shocked though, when a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. She didn't get much time to dwell on it though as a large geyser of flames erupted from the circle, engulfing her before exploding.

Natsu took a moment to get his wits about him before their next engagement. He didn't think an attack like that would keep her down, even though it has fell many Dark Guilds before. He was right as he was forced to dodge an array of swords that came flying at him. It always amazed him how Erza could control this many weapons with her **Telekinesis** and do it so accurately. He couldn't stop to admire the impressive feat for long as he was forced to acrobatically jump out the way of the pointy projectiles less he be skewered painfully. When the dust finally cleared, he saw Erza still in her **Flame Empress Armour** with barely a scratch on her. That didn't make sense to him as, despite not being one of his [Dragon Slayer] spells, **Eruption** was still a powerful spell and should have at least damaged her a bit, regardless of her armour reducing the damage.

'So how did she remain unscathed?' He thought furiously. His mind working in overdrive to find some chink in her armour. 'I know that armour's defensive capabilities aren't enough to stop my flames nor did she have the time to dodge…so how did she defend…oh! I see….she switched to her **Adamantine Armour** in an instant and then switched back. Not bad, Titania.' Natsu thought with a grudging amount of respect.

Erza, for her part, was thinking hard as well. She didn't understand how she was caught in such a trap so easily. She knows that such a powerful spell couldn't just be used like that and from such a distance. In most cases the caster will have to draw the magic circle and remotely activate it.

'But when did he draw that circle?' She thought. As she analysed their fight thus far, going through each scene rapidly while never taking her eye off her opponent…she remembered it with a jolt. It was when she kicked him into that wall. As he was flying through the air his left hand grazed the floor where she was standing. 'I can't believe that he was able to draw a magic circle so quickly. That was almost instantaneous. He then used his other spell, not to damage me, but to manoeuvre me into the position that he wanted to. Hmph…I'm impressed Natsu…but I still won't let you get past me.' She thought with a mixture of pride and steely determination. She decided that she was on the defensive for far too long and that it was time to take the attack to him. The **Flame Empress Armour** wasn't as effective against his fire as she had hoped it would be so she needed to change it up.

" **Re-Quip: Flight Armour"**

Erza instantly changed to her skimpy, cheetah themed armour that granted her a boost in speed. If Natsu were a lesser man, he would have leered perversely at her barely clothed body. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you ask, he didn't even bat an eyelash at her skimpy attire. He kept his eyes peeled, knowing that he couldn't afford to slip up due to her increased speed.

Erza blurred from her spot before she appeared right next to Natsu with one of her swords already in motion. He barely managed to get himself out of the way and even then, a small chunk of his hair was sheared off. Erza didn't give him time to catch his breath though as she pressed on with her attack, using her superior speed to land as many hits as possible. Natsu was able to avoid some of them, but for the most part he was sustaining many cuts. They weren't deep enough to slow him down, as his instincts served him well to try and lessen the damage, but he knew that he could eventually take a major hit the more he allowed her to go on. He decided that it was time to kick things up a notch. A magic circle lit up beneath his feet before instantly dispersing.

" **Hyper Drive"**

Natsu whispered before he vanished from the spot, taking Erza by surprise. She reacted quick enough to stop a flaming fist from connecting with the back of her head. This pattern continued as they both engaged then disengaged each other in high-speed combat. Flaming fists and feet met swords as they both seemingly fought to stalemate without anyone getting the upper hand. After about five minutes they both back off to catch their breath, with Natsu glowing briefly before it disappeared.

'I didn't expect him to have something like this up his sleeve. It's similar to Jet's magic. Just what has he been doing these last few months?' Erza thought as she studied Natsu.

'Damn, it's a good thing she backed off when she did. I still don't have a good enough grasp on that spell to hold it longer than 5 minutes. Not to mention it takes quite a toll on my body. I definitely need to up my training.' Natsu thought as he breathed heavily, showing the toll his spell took on his body. He hoped that Erza would think that he could hold the spell longer, if she did there was a good chance that she would switch armours due to her perceiving the futility of them continuing to engage in high-speed combat. He knew that his **Hyper Drive** spell wasn't combat ready for someone of Erza's level but he used it mainly as a bluff to get her out of the **Flight Armour** or else he would be at a severe disadvantage. His prayers were seemingly answered though as Erza was surrounded in a golden light.

" **Re-Quip: Black Wing Armour"**

'Fuck.' Natsu thought.

Erza's **Black Wing Armour** is said to increase the power of a single attack which meant that things were not going to look good for Natsu unless he pulls his socks up.

Natsu used his palm as a fulcrum as he back-flipped out of the way of Erza's devastating slash that sliced through the surrounding rock formations like a hot knife through butter. He made a mental note to not get hit with that. He idly wondered if Erza was trying to kill him, it certainly looked like it to him. Then again, Erza always was a little crazy, even more so than he was. While his mind was working, his body wasn't ide. He held out his available hand and a thick rope of purple fire shot out and grabbed her around the waist.

Erza instantly recognised it as Macao's [Purple Flare]. Another spell that she had no idea that he could use. It seemed to her that he spent that last few months really expanding his arsenal.

Natsu didn't give her time to dwell on her thoughts though as, when he regained his footing, he tensed the muscles in his arms before using his [Purple Flare] rope to swing Erza as hard as he could, sending her crashing through the walls of the cave. He also added the effect of the fire wrapped around her waist to burn her while in motion.

He wasn't able to keep it up for long though as he felt his 'rope' give way, seemingly being cut apart, before Erza came charging towards him and landing a slash across his chest.

"Argh!" He cried as he jumped back. He held his hand to his chest, trying to ease the pain of the wound as blood flowed freely from the cut. It wasn't too deep but it certainly hurt like a bitch. He look to Erza to see that she was scuffed up quite a bit, not to mention the ugly burns that ran around her waist from his fire. He could see the frustration on her face though, the longer this fight went on.

"I'm honestly surprised that you were able to push me this far Natsu. I admit I may have underestimated you, thinking that it would be an easy victory for me but you clearly proved me wrong. If it were anyone else, they would have probably given you passage to move on as you are definitely at an S-Class level. Unfortunately for you, that won't be happening today." She said before her body was once again surrounded by a golden glow.

" **Re-Quip: Purgatory Armour"**

Natsu felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck. The **Purgatory Armour** was Erza's most powerful. This told him that she was done playing around. He knew that if he didn't go all out right now, then she would steamroll him. He wasn't about to let things go her way though. He locked eyes with hers, both of their glares were intense as the tension in to room rapidly rose. Natsu gave a smirk, causing her to look a little confused.

"I'm man enough to admit much the same. I underestimated just how powerful you are truly are. I guess we were both blinded by our familiarity with each other. But I think you got caught up in the heat of battle a bit, Titania, because you forgot something very important." Natsu said to her, causing her to elegantly raise an eyebrow in question. He gave her a feral smirk in response. "I'm a [Dragon Slayer]!" He declared before his body erupted in flames, drastically raising the temperature of the room, making it difficult to breath for Erza.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. She felt like a bit of an idiot for getting so into the battle that she forgot his main magic. It's been so long since she's seen him fight that she neglected that bit of information. She wasn't too worried though. She had five years of experience with Natsu's [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic and she was confident that she could nullify it. She compared the power of his previously used magic in this fight to what she remembers of his primary magic and made a rough estimate of how much stronger it may have gotten. While she knew she had to be weary, she was assured that this fight would be hers in the end.

The flames that were dancing wildly around Natsu's body started to slowly shrink. No, it was more like they were being compressed around his body. The temperature was still rising and there was a faint outline of orange around Natsu's body. The soil and rock around the vicinity of his body started melting in response to the extreme rise in temperature. This was something that he discovered during his time in the North.

 ***Flashback***

Natsu panted heavily as he lay on his back in the arctic conditions of the North. It was tough going for him as he tried to hone his [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic in new and innovative ways. It wasn't as easy as he had expected it to be. It made him realise that what Igneel had taught him, was just the starting line, it was up to Natsu to take it from there and run with it. He refused to believe that what he was taught was all there was to [Dragon Slayer] magic. It was one of the rarest and most coveted forms of magic as such it was reasonable to believe that there was far more to it than what Natsu currently knew. His current objective was to figure out whatever he could about his magic that would help him strengthen it.

His present training program has him trying to compress the flames around his body. One of the things he's realised is that there is a lot of wasted energy when he uses his magic. He usually allows his flames to explode out of his body and they continue to burn without a real need. What he is currently trying, and failing to do, is to compress those excess flames around himself and the form of a thin film of energy that will allow him some form of defence. It was another one of his realisations…he had zero defensive spells. Well, in his defence, his magic wasn't really geared towards defending. Still, he thought it would be prudent to at least create some sort of defensive technique just in case…which led us to the current predicament.

He has been practicing for the last four hours with no positive results. Despite his knowledge of compressing fire from his experience with the other forms of [Fire Magic] he's picked up, his [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic is proving to be far more volatile. Fire isn't something that is necessarily meant to be controlled, Natsu preferred to think of it as tempering his flames instead. He lifted his right hand and channelled his magic towards it. It lit up with an orange glow and stayed tightly compressed.

"Why is it so easy to focus it to my fists but I can't get it to wrap around the rest of my body? There must be something I'm missing." He pondered out loud. He tried again, concentrating hard on the task of coating his body in a compressed film of flames. He gritted his teeth as he pushed his concentration to the max. Sweat started pouring down his face as the strain was starting to show. Flames started dancing wildly around his body, signifying his lack of control over them. It was unfortunate that the longer this went on, the more anger and frustration he began to feel which in turn affected his control over the flames. It was a vicious cycle, one that he wasn't sure how to break.

His anger eventually won out as he lost control of the flames causing a small explosion to engulf him. He staggered slightly, covered in soot as he regained his bearings. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and he snapped. He roared in frustration as the flames around him started swirling around him violently in the form of a large dome.

Natsu, even during his little temper tantrum, couldn't help but stop and marvel at the phenomenon that he inadvertently created. The dome surrounded him perfectly, creating a wall of flames that would no doubt protect him. He realised that this was something he could turn into that defensive technique that he so desperately tried to achieve. It was just a start though. Natsu wouldn't give up on his idea of an 'armour of flames'. He understood that he was trying too much too quickly. He should have started small, trying to shape his fire further away from his body before bringing it in with each success until eventually the 'coat of flames' surrounded him. He would use this dome as his starting point and push on from there. At least now he had something to go on instead of constantly shooting in the dark.

 ***Flashback End***

The wildly dancing flames eventually died away, leaving his body to be coated in an orange outline that radiated pure, compressed fire. Erza could feel the temperature of it from her position. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that she couldn't afford to get too close to it.

" **Enjin no Yoroi (Armour of the Fire God)"**

Natsu called out, flexing his muscles to familiarise himself with his 'armour'. This was one of his proudest achievements. It took a lot of blood, sweat and even a few tears, but he eventually got it done. He created this technique specifically for people like Erza, who liked to fight in close combat. The 'armour' would burn away anything that it came into contact with, such was the astounding power of it. Of course, there were a few limitations on it such as it relied heavily on Natsu's concentration. He wasn't familiar enough with it to maintain it on an instinctive level, though he was sure that he would get there soon enough, which also meant that if he took enough damage right now then he would lose control of the technique. He would basically have to beat down Erza before she could beat him. Pretty simple and straightforward, just the way he liked it.

Erza, after taking a minute to admire the beautiful technique, sprang into action. She switched out her large mace that was usually paired with the Purgatory Armour for a regular katana, not taking any chances with the intense flames that were in front of her. She would test the waters first before she turned to her more heavy hitting weapons.

As she closed in on Natsu, her katana being swung down to cleave him in half, she momentarily panicked at the fact that he wasn't dodging like she was expecting him too. It was too late for her to pull away and she could only hope that he blocked it. She was in for a surprise however, as the moment her sword came into contact with his 'armour', that portion of her sword simply disappeared.

Her eyes widened and she looked at her sword in shock, unable to believe what just happened. The remnants of it looked like melted slag. That was a mistake though as she left herself open to Natsu, who immediately capitalised.

" **Fire Dragons Demolition Fist"**

Erza chocked up a little as the devastating attack connected with her sternum, sending her flying into the rock formations behind her. She was sure that a few of her ribs were broken. Natsu didn't let up his attack though, as he added on the pressure with his signature technique.

" **Fire Dragons Roar"**

The large torrent of fire went screaming towards Erza, who was honestly caught off guard by the intensity of the flames. She knew that Natsu had gotten stronger, but this was insane. She had always sensed his potential to be powerful, but she honestly didn't expect him to tap into it this early. It seems that his trauma from losing Lisanna and Happy propelled him to greater heights. Something that worried her immensely. Seeking power when experiencing such negative emotions can never be a good thing. This was one of the reasons that she needed to stop him from becoming and S-Class mage. Natsu needed help. He needed to talk to someone to help him sort out the mess that he's become. She would ensure that it happened, right after she put him down.

As the flames neared her, she [Re-Quipped] her **Adamantine Armour** instantly, stopping them in their tracks, before switching back to her **Purgatory Armour** along with her trusted sword, Benizakura. Her regular katana may have melted upon contact with his 'Armour', but Benizakura was far from an ordinary store-bought katana. It was a powerful magical sword that she had the utmost faith in.

She raced towards Natsu, who was charging towards her to follow up his attack. The both threw a punch at the other, with both of their fists meeting colliding, sending a shockwave from their position.

Erza could feel the tremendous heat coming from Natsu and could feel her armour heating up around her fist.

Natsu was a bit surprised that her armour was actually holding up against his **Enjin no Yoroi** , then again this was her **Purgatory Armour** , her most powerful one. He knew that he wasn't as proficient with his technique as he would have liked but he could also tell that her armour was slowly giving way the longer it stayed in contact with him. She understood that as well as she retracted her fist before slashing towards him. He knew that she should have known that her swords were pretty much useless from his earlier demonstration but the fact the she attacked him again with a sword made him weary. Erza wasn't stupid, far from it. She wouldn't do something so futile especially in the heat of battle. Knowing this, he decided that it was better to dodge the attack rather than test out the swords durability against his armour.

As the sword passed through the air that he was previously occupying, slicing the wall behind him in the process, Natsu readied his next attack.

" **Fire Dragons Tail Whip"**

He coated his right leg in flames before sending a spin kick at Erza, who blocked with the flat of her sword, before quickly disengaging and punching him in the face.

Erza could feel the painful burn from coming into contact with his armour, but she grit her teeth and fought through the pain, determined not to lose today.

Natsu was much the same. He could feel his head ringing from Erza's ferocious hit. Her tenacity and her threshold for pain surprised him, it was almost as high as his own. But he refused to be beaten by her. He willed the disorientation away before launching his own punch at her, catching her square in the jaw.

The fight devolved into a battle of wills as they both continuously threw hit after hit at each other. Large bruises started to form and blood was slowly pouring out of their open wounds as they both refused to give in. The intensity in their eyes as they glared with each other was suffocating. They both pushed aside the pain they were feeling in order to grasp victory in this fight. Unfortunately for Erza, it was Natsu who had the most in the tank on this day.

Erza, who was slowly being worn down, made a single error. She overstepped a little on her last sword swing, giving Natsu the opening that he needed.

" **Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragons Fist"**

Erza's eyes widened momentarily, before a resigned look appeared on her face.

Hundreds of fists made of fire started pummelling her in rapid succession, giving her no time for reprieve. The agony from the attack wracked Erza's body but she endured enough pain in her life to ignore it for the moment. Her mind was stuck on the impossibility, at least to her mind, that just occurred. She had lost. Natsu had beaten her.

It was a moment that she knew would eventually come ever since she first met the young [Dragon Slayer]. She just never expected it to come so soon. It was a bittersweet moment for her. On one hand, she was proud of how far her friend, yes she considered him her friend even if he didn't feel the same, had come. On the other hand, the circumstances which led to the awakening of his power was something she wished he would never have had to experience. She knew first hand that the death of a loved one could have staggering implications in terms of awakening ones power. She experienced the same thing when she had watched Rob die for her in the Tower of Heaven which led to her own power awakening. She had hoped that by keeping Natsu away from the S-Class rank, she could keep him safe and away from the darker elements of the world. She didn't want him to end up going down the wrong path. She missed exuberant smile that he used to greet her with when she entered the guild. She missed the childish fights he used to pick with her and Gray. Most of all, she missed the comforting warmth that used to envelop him and those around him. She missed her friend. As her consciousness slowly started fading away, she made a vow that she would bring him back eventually. Even if it took her a lifetime, she would find a way to bring his beautiful smile back. If she had to grab him by the ears or beat the stuffing out of him she would. She would not give up, just as she knew he wouldn't if she went down a similar path. Whatever the case, this wasn't over.

Natsu breathed heavily as Erza's unconscious body hit the floor. His muscles burned from being over exerted and his body was desperately fighting exhaustion. It took a while for him to come to terms with it…but he eventually realised. He won. He beat her. He finally beat Erza. A small smile made its way on his face as he silently basked in the euphoria of his victory. This was something he strived for ever since he became part of the Guild. Erza was someone that stood at the top on the pile in terms of strength in the Guild. To defeat her showed that his training had paid off and that he was well on his way to greater things. His mind slowly turned towards Lisanna and Happy, as a few tears escaped his eyes.

'Lisanna, Happy. I finally did it. I beat Erza. I'm probably going to become an S-Class mage after this. I know I always said I would do it, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I only wish you were both here to see it. Thank you, for giving me the strength and the courage to keep going even though I so desperately want to be with the two of you. I promise though, that I will continue to live on. I will make sure my name resounds throughout the heavens so that you will hear it. Wherever you are, please continue watching over me.' He thought with a sad smile on his face.

He looked towards Erza, whose body was crumpled awkwardly on the floor. He cursed himself silently for being so soft, before he picked her up and placed her against a smooth rock, ensuring that she was comfortable. He shook his head silently, before standing up and gazing at her. She looked so beautiful and so peaceful right now. If only she wasn't such a domineering, self-righteous bitch most of the time…Natsu was sure he would have had a major crush on her.

"You put up a good fight. It was everything I expected it to be. I look forward to having another in the future. So train up and get ready for that day that we will meet in battle again, Erza." He stated, finally calling her by her name again, before walking towards the exit.

His back was turned to her, so he didn't see the small smile that appeared on her face.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Natsu slowly limped his way into the final room of the labyrinth. He looked towards a raised platform in the middle and spotted the model of the Fairy Tail Guild that he needed to pass this exam. He slowly made his way over before silently picking it up. Nothing happened initially before the room started to suddenly shake. Natsu had to brace himself to keep his balance as he watched the wall in from of him slowly lift, allowing sunlight to enter the room. As the wall reached its peak, Natsu walked out of the room and back into the open air. He once again saw the blue sky and a beautiful forest around them.

"Congratulations, my boy." He heard the voice of the old man. He turned to the side and spotted him standing on a large rock. Natsu gingerly walked over to him and handed the model over. "You passed through the obstacles with amazing proficiency and even managed to defeat Erza in a one-on-one battle. That was no small feat. I'm proud to announce on this day that you, Natsu Dragneel, are now officially recognised as an S-Class mage of Fairy tail. Wear that title with honour."

"Thank you, Master." Natsu replied as he bowed his head in thanks.

While Makarov was proud to see one of his beloved children come so far, he was honestly worried about Natsu. It wasn't that he was afraid that Natsu would give into his darkness, like what Erza assumed. No, Makarov had much more faith in the [Dragon Slayer] and knew that he was a person who would never fall victim to his demons, something that Erza failed to see. What he was worried about, was the fact the Natsu seemed to be slowly pulling away from the rest of the Guild. He could see the signs as Natsu slowly closed himself off to everyone else. It wasn't like he had many friends to begin with, Lisanna and Happy being the exception, unfortunately. The old master knew that, regardless of how much he preached about the Guild being like family, he didn't enforce many rules to ensure such a thing actually happened. He couldn't force the others to like a person nor could he force them to be friends. It was unfortunate that because of Natsu being raised by a dragon, he was ridiculed by the others for it as they perceived it as a lie. Humans are fickle creatures and they often ostracize things that they don't understand. Natsu was the unfortunate victim in this case and he the consequences of those actions are slowly starting to show. His only hope was for someone to pull Natsu back in and allow him to open up to them. He had no problem doing it himself, but he knew that he wasn't a favourite of the young man right now.

He had faith in his Guild though, and he knew that one of his children would eventually get through to Natsu. He would wait patiently for that day to come.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It's been a week since the S-Class trials and many were flabbergasted at the fact that Natsu had passed. Not only that, but he had actually defeated the mighty Titania.

Gray was fuming. He couldn't believe that he was so far behind his 'rival'. He and Natsu were pretty much even ever since he came to the Guild and to see Natsu surpass him was a difficult pill for the [Ice-Make] mage to swallow. He refused to be left behind as such, he doubled his training in response. He swore to himself that he would catch up to both Natsu and Erza eventually.

Mirajane was beaming at the result of her favourite [Fire Mage]… (Cue the sound of Macao's heart shattering)…and was smiling happily for the rest of the week. She was proud to see how far he had come and she was sure that Lisanna would be over the moon if she were here. She had always had an undeniable faith in Natsu, something that Mira never understood before but was now clear to her. It was almost suicidal to bet against Natsu. He had this air about him that told you that he would always come through. It was something that she was sure her sister fell in love with. His sincerity and his reliability. Mira never bothered to look past his surface before and she regretted it to this day. There was so much more to Natsu than she realised and she hoped that she would see more of these different sides of him in the future. All she could do for now was to silently cheer him on and support him, even if he didn't want it, for she knew that's what her sister would want.

Not everyone was happy like Mira though. Cana was currently sitting on a bank looking into the river in one of the quieter areas of the Magnolia Forest. Her legs were drawn up and her knees were pressed against her bountiful chest as she gazed forlornly ahead of her. She felt so broken right now. All her hopes had been riding on this exam, and she failed…again. That all she ever seemed to be able to do. This makes it the third year in a row that she failed. She could feel her dream slowly slipping away from her and she couldn't fight back the tears any longer. She honestly thought of leaving the Guild to get away from this pain, but she knew that it wouldn't solve anything. All she could do now was wallow in self-pity and probably drown her sorrows in alcohol. She felt like such a disgrace.

"So this is where you were." A deep voice called out from beside her. Cana jolted in shock at being snuck up on as she instantly recognised the voice. She turned to the side to see Natsu standing next to her looking into the river like she was. She wanted to be mad at him. She wanted to hate him…but she couldn't. It wasn't his fault. It was her own. He had his own demons to deal with and this year has been horrible for him yet he fought through his pain and attained even greater power. Cana was honestly a bit envious of him.

"Natsu." She whispered before hurriedly wiping away her tears. She knew it was too late and that he probably already saw her pathetic state but she at least had to keep up appearances. "Congratulations of your promotion." She said with a sad smile on her face.

Natsu looked at her from the corner of his eye, seemingly peering into her soul, before turning back to the river.

"Do you know what I thought when Erza first became an S-Class mage?" Natsu asked suddenly, confusing the heck out of Cana who just shook her head negatively. "I thought, 'How the hell did she manage to beat out Cana for the position'."

"Wha?!" Cana looked at him with a shocked expression.

"I though the same last year when Mirajane passed the S-Class trials at your expense as well." Natsu continued. Seeing her shock and her confusion, Natsu decided to elaborate. "You may think of me as an idiot, and maybe I am, but the one thing I pride myself on above others is my senses. I can sense the immense amount of magic within you. I could sense it from the day I met you. You may not realise it, but your magical capacity and your potential far exceeds both Erza and Mirajane…which was why I honestly thought that you would beat them." Cana was stunned at his words and flattered at the high praise that he had given her. "Your branch of magic, while not as purely powerful and hard hitting as theirs, holds much more versatility and potential for adaptability. Yet on both occasions, you lost to them. And this year, you lost to me. Do you want to know why?" Cana looked desperately at him, hoping he would give her the answer that she had sought for so long. He lifted up his hand and gently poked her forehead with his index and middle finger. "It's all in here."

"Huh?" Cana made a sound of confusion.

Natsu wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he honestly felt compelled to. He told himself that he didn't need any friends, and that he would cut his ties with the people around him. But he realised early on that it was easier said than done. Seeing the despondent look in Cana's eyes brought up familiar feelings within him. He remembered the days where he would sit on this bank and look out into the river with similar feelings after a day of getting beaten down by Erza and Mirajane. In a way, he sees a lot of himself in Cana. They were both powerful mages that were knocking on the S-Class doors. They were both also pretty lonely, luckily Natsu had Lisanna and Happy to fill that void for a few years but now even they were gone. And most importantly, they both had some serious unresolved Daddy issues. He thought back to the days that he would wallow in the same way that Cana was right now and he remembered that he wished someone would take the time to extend a hand to him. He was now in a position to do something that he always wished someone would do for him, and regardless of his new policies, he couldn't ignore her even if he wanted. He cursed his soft heart once again.

"It all in your mind, Cana. Whether you realise it or not, you have unconsciously shackled your magic and limited your abilities with your mind-set. I've done a lot of studying these past few months, unfortunately…" He stated with a sour look on his face that made her smile a little as that was something the 'old' Natsu would have said. "And I can tell you that you are the one that is hampering yourself. You have this defeatist attitude towards almost everything. Do you think Erza or Mirajane or even myself got this far on luck and talent? No, we bust our ass day in and day out training till the point of exhaustion. While you sit at the bar drinking away barrels of alcohol on a daily basis. When was the last time you trained? When was the last time you tried expanding your magic?" Natsu asked her. Cana look at her feet in shame. While she normally would have been mad at someone speaking to her in such a way, Natsu's words held an unfortunate truth to them.

"I…can't remember." She whispered ashamedly.

"And that's the problem Cana. I know you can be better. So does the Master. That's why he keeps nominating you. He believes in you as do I. The problem is, you don't seem to believe in yourself. You need to have more faith in yourself and your abilities. You can go far if you do. I'm not saying that you shouldn't drink either, but at least do it after a hard day of training. You have the potential for greatness in you, I'm sure on some small level, you realise this too…given who your father is." Natsu stated causing Cana to gape at him in shock.

"Wha?! How do you know about that?!" She demanded with a look of panic in her eyes. She had never told a soul about who her father really was. It was something that weighed on her heart for almost 8 years. It was a burden that she shouldered alone and she was positive that she never once slipped up. So how did Natsu know? He gave her a small smirk in reply before pointing at his nose.

"Again, you should never underestimate the senses of a [Dragon Slayer]. I didn't put it together at first as I had never been around any real families. Then I realised that Master Makarov and Laxus had similar scents, signalling they were related. You scent is much more similar to your fathers compared to the two of them which led me to believe that you were his daughter. I eventually asked him if he had a daughter but he told me he didn't. I can only assume that he didn't know and that you didn't tell him for some reason so I respected that decision and kept it to myself. Recently though, I've learned that you should never leave things unsaid. The longer you wait the greater the chances that there may come a day when you can never say the things you once wanted to. Take it from me Cana, there's no greater regret than that." He informed her with a mournful look in his eyes. Cana looked at him in wonder, unable to believe how badly she had misjudged him. She, like most of the Guild, just assumed that he was a knucklehead that only loved fighting and eating. She never took the time to realise that there was this much depth to him, something that left her felling a little ashamed at herself for being so judgemental. She felt a pang of pity for him as well, understanding that he was speaking of the things left unsaid between himself and Lisanna. And to think, that he was here to give her the confidence and the validation that she so desperately sought. She couldn't stop the warmth that bloomed in her chest or the happy tears that rolled down her face. "Hold your head up high, Cana. You are the daughter of Gildarts Clive. Probably the most powerful mage in Fiore. If you want to live up to this imaginary standard that you think he has for you than you need to work hard. I have confidence that you could do it, just as he would if he knew. Don't falter now. When the next exam rolls around, I expect you to join me and your shitty old man on the second floor." Natsu said as he walked away from her with a single hand waving. Cana looked at his back, barely able to contain the happiness that she felt at this moment. To think that her newfound strength would come from the place that she least expected it. She really regretted not getting to know Natsu better all these years. There really was someone special under all those layers. She shouldn't be surprised though, he was her father's favourite. That alone should have told her he was someone who was exceptional.

"Thank you, Natsu." She whispered to herself. She vowed to herself that she would do better. The years of wallowing in self-pity was over. She would clean up her act and push herself forward, not just for Gildarts and herself, but for Natsu as well. He said that he believes in her, even when she didn't believe in herself. She vowed to repay his kindness by living up to his high expectations of her. "Wait for me, Natsu. I will get to where you are. I promise."

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

 _X784: Hargeon_

Erza Scarlet was not in a good mood as she marched dangerously through the streets of Hargeon. Then again, she was rarely in a good mood these days. In her mind though, most of her issues could be laid at the feet of a certain salmon-haired [Dragon Slayer].

It's been almost a year and a half since the last S-Class exam, a year and a half since Natsu had beaten her in combat. It was something that irked her to this day. While she was proud of Natsu and how far he came, she was still a proud warrior and didn't take losing well. Nevertheless, she came to terms with her loss and pushed herself even harder in her training, determined to close the gap that seemingly opened between them.

The problem Erza was having, was that not much changed since his promotion. Natsu was still as reclusive as before. In fact, it was even worse now as he spent most of his time on the second floor, on the rare occasions that he actually comes to the Guild. The only people that he interacts with are the Master and Mira when she brings him his food. He completely ignores everyone else, her included. That didn't sit well with Erza at all. She was still deeply concerned about his mental state and she often confronted him in the hopes of getting him to open up to her so she can steer him away from the darkness that she thinks he's experiencing. Master Makarov often told her that she was pointlessly worried for nothing but she refused to believe that. She was certain that Natsu needed her help and she would make sure he gets it. Unfortunately, her efforts were often brushed off or ignored completely, much to her frustration. She refused to give up though, she would get through that thick head of his one way or another. She would beat the true meaning of Fairy Tail back into that bone-headed [Dragon Slayer] if it was the last thing she did.

That was all well and good, until she encountered the biggest problem with her self-appointed mission. Apart from Natsu ignoring her efforts on the rare occasions that she actually sees him, the man was almost impossible to find. Never before had she cursed his [Dragon Slayer] senses more than she did now. It was impossible to track him, unless he wanted to be found. She couldn't sneak up on him nor could she lay a trap. He saw through all of her efforts and it vexed her. As her anger started building, she took on more S-Class jobs to vent her frustrations. Unfortunately for Master Makarov, Erza has no concept of holding back. She seemingly made up for all the destruction that Natsu cut out from his jobs…not that she cared much anyway. She was a woman on a mission and she wouldn't let anything get in her way.

She came to this port town because of the rumours she heard in neighbouring towns. Rumours of the **Crimson Chaos** hanging around Hargeon. She knew that moniker belonged to only one man. As soon as she heard the name, she pounced and took the first train she could to Hargeon, determined to intercept Natsu. Which leads us to the current predicament, with Erza prowling the streets, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings for any sign of her elusive Guild mate.

"Kyaa! Crimson Chaos-sama!"

"It's really him!"

"He's so dreamy!"

Erza immediately turned to the large crowd forming in the middle of the streets. A dangerous grin formed on her face as she homed in on them like a bloodhound.

"I've got you now, Natsu. There's no running away this time." She muttered before racing towards the mob.

She parted them easily and got to the centre, where she found a blue haired man with a strange tattoo over his eye making exaggerated poses at the crowd of swooning ladies. When the man spotted her, he put on his most charming smile, but to Erza, it made him look constipated.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded. The man once again made a dramatic hand motion before speaking in a suave voice.

"Perhaps you have heard of me. I am the Crimson Chaos." He answered, unaware of how much danger he was in right now.

Erza, upon hearing his answer, let her bangs shadow her eyes as her teeth ground against one another loudly. She lifted her head and glared malevolently at the man before her. It was too late for him to realise his mistake as he felt chills run up his spine. Erza didn't give him another moment as her gauntlet covered fist ploughed right into his face, breaking his nose and no doubt fracturing his skull as he smashed into the building behind him before collapsing in a heap. She glared down at his bloody, beaten form once again.

"Trash like you has no right to use that name." She stated darkly, scaring most of the woman around her.

It didn't take long for her to contact the Rune Knights to take him in for questioning, not only for using someone else's moniker, but also for his use of **Charm** magic. Erza didn't care for the results of his trial as she went on her way. She was annoyed that this proved to be another dead end. She only wished that she had another opportunity to punch the fake again to relieve some of her stress.

"Thank you for your help back there." A sweet voice called out to her. Erza turned around and spotted a busty blonde, probably a year or so younger than her. She wore skimpy clothing with a strange side ponytail. Though Erza would admit she was pretty, she didn't really have time for any nonsense. She quirked an eyebrow in response, urging the girl to get on with it. The blonde just blushed before answering. "My name is Lucy. I just wanted to thank you for breaking the **Charm** magic that creep was using."

"It was no problem. I didn't even notice you there." Erza answered bluntly, causing Lucy to sweat-drop.

"Umm…I couldn't help but notice…you have the Fairy Tail symbol on your armour. Are you a member of the Guild? I've been looking for it for weeks but nobody seems to know where it is. Could you give me directions to it, please? It's my dream to join Fairy Tail." Lucy begged with her hands clasped in a prayer motion as she turned on the puppy-dog eyes on Erza, who was far from impressed. Still though, Fairy Tail never turned anyone away and this girl seemed to be relatively talented.

"Fine. I'm on my way back to the Guild. Follow me." She ordered before taking off, with Lucy happily trailing after her.

What Erza didn't see, was the mop of shaggy salmon hair of the man that was perched atop the building overlooking the town square.

"Well, I took a break from hunting these dark mages who were after a demon from the book of Zeref because of an imposter using my moniker only to find something very interesting indeed." Natsu said to himself as he gazed at the departing duo. More specifically, Lucy. "Miss Anna, no, a descendent of Miss Anna. How peculiar. Is this what they call fate? I can things are going to be quite interesting from now onwards. I'll be keeping my eye on you, Lucy Heartfilia." He said before vanished from the spot.

Lucy stopped her walk and curiously looked around, sure that someone said her name.

"Stop daydreaming and hurry up or I'll leave you behind." Erza said irritably.

"Sorry!" Lucy apologised quickly before hurrying after Erza, excited at the prospect of finally joining her dream Guild. She was unaware of the events that would soon be put in motion from her joining Fairy Tail.

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _I had this one in my archive for a while but didn't get the chance to proofread it due to the holidays. It didn't help that I was doing a re-run of Pokèmon Alpha Sapphire that got me hook…again. Damn those games are addictive. Anyway, as you can see, I decided to put in the trials in this chapter._

 _I did this mainly because I wanted to show a little more of Natsu's personality and the different dimensions of it. And also because I wanted to do a fight between himself and Erza. I'm not sure how well I did but I think it's pretty good overall. The trials itself weren't very exciting, I know, but I couldn't really think of anything else. I mainly wanted to get to the fight, every other obstacle wasn't really that important._

 _As you can see, Natsu came out victorious but it was a close call. I wanted to show him surpassing Erza but also having to work hard for his victory. He was in no way ready to steamroll a powerhouse like Erza, yet. He showed of his newer magic and his modified [Dragon Slayer] spells._

 _Now, for those of you that made the comparisons, the Enjin no Yoroi is based on Yamamoto's Bankai, more specifically, Zanka no Tachi West: Zanji-Tsugoki. It's not as powerful as Yamamoto's was but you get the general idea. He will improve it as the story unfolds._

 _ **Natsu's Interactions**_ _: Now, this was one of the other reason I did this chapter. I wanted to show his interactions with other, more specifically, Erza, Mira and Cana. As you can see, he's still a bit weary of Mira as he has no idea how to treat her. Erza is pretty self-explanatory. Cana on the other hand, was something that just came to me in the middle of the chapter._

 _I quite like her character and I feel that she's underused in the manga. She is powerful, four nominations for the S-Class exams prove that. She's also shown to be a great leader as evidenced by her roles in the Phantom Lord arc and the Tartoros arc. She has great potential for a character and I feel that she and Natsu could have great chemistry. Now this doesn't mean I'm going to pair them together just yet, it just means that she will have more screen time as compared to cannon._

 _Now I know a few of you will be thinking he's getting all buddy buddy with everyone. Let me assure you that it won't be the case. I didn't these interactions mainly to show that Natsu isn't some unfeeling emo asshole. He might be reclusive but he isn't malicious. He's still the same person underneath all those barriers he put up and it's hard for him to escape his true nature, regardless of how badly he wants to cut his ties for everyone._

 _Now with regards to his powers, I tried to show him with an upgraded version of his [Dragon Slayer] magic as he's been modifying his usual spells. I want to put it out there right now that there will be no Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode in this story. It was completely useless to me. I will do his Flame Dragon King Mode though, as that was a cool one. It won't come until much later though. Also, a thank you to ByyBeats for his suggestion for the name of Natsu's crimson flames._

 _I selected Crimson Chaos as his moniker. I actually got this from Haiyore Nyarlko-san. Nyarlathotep calls herself the Crawling Chaos. I thought it was a cool epithet so I used it. I think if fits well with Natsu._

 _Another thing I want to point out is that Erza now sees Natsu as a rival of sorts. Something she didn't have in cannon due to Mira being put on the shelf. This means that she will take her training more seriously and will be stronger than she was in cannon. What that means is that neither she nor Natsu are going to win their fights with any bullshit Nakama power up…they are going to do it the old fashioned way…a good ol' beat down._

 _Demonfox2140 pointed out that without Edolas, Mystogan wouldn't have met Wendy which led to the creation of Caitshelter and Pantherlily wouldn't be as awesome as he was in cannon. Don't worry about that, I already have those things sorted out in my mind._

 _For the next chapter, I will skim over the first few arcs as they hold no great importance to my story. Natsu will be involved in the background, as hinted in this chapter, till we get to the Phantom Arc. The first few arcs are mainly to do with Lucy and therefore aren't important to Natsu's development. With the exception of Lullaby and Deliora._

 _Anyway, that's enough from me, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your reviews letting me know what you think._

 _Lionheart021 out!_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all associated content belongs to Hiro Mashima.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names/Monikers**

[Types of Magic]

 _ ***Flashbacks***_

 _Speaker/Projections_

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Chapter 4: Enter the Dragon**

After his little detour at Hargeon, Natsu continued his 'hunt' of a certain group of Dark mages that were purportedly in possession of a very dark and very dangerous artefact belonging to Zeref. Natsu didn't have that full picture yet as to their intentions, but anything involving the most infamous Dark Mage in history can never be something good. While it may seem to be quite heroic on Natsu's part to apprehend a group of bad guys, his intentions aren't completely altruistic.

Ever since he unlocked his [Flames of Desolation], Natsu started discovering more and more of his past that was seemingly locked away inside of him. At first it was simply flashes of familiar faces and events that were somewhat meaningful. Eventually though, things started to become a lot clearer to him and he was able to put names to faces and meaning to the events that he witnessed. His advancement in the meditative arts certainly helped propel his understanding.

He was able to remember the name of the beautiful blonde woman who taught him how to read and write as well as many other things. Her name was Anna Heartfilia. She was a warm and kind woman who had endless patience, especially for a rowdy brat like he was. She was also the one who knit his trademark scarf using the scales Igneel shed. He wasn't even ashamed to admit that he had a small crush on her. She was someone who held a special place in Natsu's heart. He tried to search her out, but all avenues always led back to the Heartfilia Enterprise led by Jude Heartfilia. Apart from himself and his daughter, there were no other records of any other living Heartfilia. He had seen a picture of Jude's late wife, Layla Heartfilia, and she was the splitting image of Anna. According to the records, she died on 7 July X777…the same day that Igneel disappeared. That was more than fishy to him. He already had his suspicions, but there was definitely more happening around him than he was made aware of. His knowledge of customs as well as his ability to read and write was outdated by at least 400 years. Add to that, he had no birth records and there was zero mention of Anna Heartfilia, who was the foremost Celestial Mage in the world. The only explanation that he could come up with, was that he somehow travelled through time…but that was impossible…right? He also toyed with the idea of accidentally ending up in an alternate dimension, but that was even less likely than his time travel theory. Currently, he had nothing else to go on and therefore tentatively accepted that he may be in the wrong time, it was all he could do to keep his sanity until he got more concrete answers.

He was able to put names to the other faces that he saw as well. Wendy Marvell, the [Sky Dragon Slayer] or as she was known these days, the **Sky Sorceress**. She was a cute blue haired girl that was always quick to cry but had a heart of gold. He remembered her sweet smile and her unending kindness. She was someone that he held close to his heart and was fiercely protective of. Looking for her was the first thing he did as soon as he was able to full remember her and her importance to him. He dropped everything he was doing and used all of his connections to get even a whiff of her. He was able to find her eventually, but that's a story for a different time.

The other person from his vision, the scruffy black haired boy, was someone much easier to find. His name was almost as famous as Natsu's own throughout Fiore. **Black Steel** , Gajeel Redfox...the [Iron Dragon Slayer]. There weren't many good things to say about Gajeel in recent times and the guild he belonged to, Phantom Lord, were bordering on being a Dark Guild with their recent actions. It seemed that his old friend was somehow led astray from his path. Natsu would put him back on the straight and narrow eventually, knowing it would take more than words to get through his thick skull.

The other two boys, Sting Eucliffe and Rouge Cheney, the [White Dragon Slayer] and the [Shadow Dragon Slayer] respectively, weren't as close to Natsu as the other two. He hasn't heard much about them from the grapevine, but he was sure they were out there somewhere. He would find them eventually, even if it was only for his peace of mind.

From what he could gather, the others were just like he was a few years ago. They seemed to have no memory of the preceding years of their life. He was able to come to this conclusion due to the fact that if any of them did remember, they would be doing the same thing he was and he would have found out about others asking similar questions through his connections. By some strange coincidence, all the [Dragon Slayers] somehow 'lost' memories of each other and the events surrounding them, with the exception of their Dragon parent, on July 7 X777. It was more than suspicious to him.

There were still many mysteries surrounding his life, despite the many discoveries that he was able to make. It seemed that for every answer that he got, more questions would pop up. It was an annoying experience for him who was more used to punching things in the face than being some kind of sleuth uncovering mysteries. But he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. This was his life and he felt he deserved to know what was going on with him. It also helped that it assisted in keeping his mind off Lisanna and Happy. He knew it wasn't a healthy way to deal with his emotions, but Natsu had nothing else to go on. All he could do was put it in the back of his mind and power through his life one day at a time.

The more he tried to dig deeper into his subconscious through meditation though, the more one name started popping up.

Zeref.

The **Black Mage** Zeref. Reportedly the most evil man to ever live, said to be responsible for countless atrocities. He was a man hated and vilified by all except the darkest of mages in this day and age.

For some reason, Natsu felt that he had some kind of connection with this man. It was on a subconscious level and he didn't have anything to back it up…but his instincts led him to believe it to be true. If there was one thing Natsu trusted above all others, it was his instincts. There was this niggling feeling that Zeref was somehow important in seeking to understand himself. Natsu didn't fully understand it nor did he like the implications of it but he resolved himself to follow this lead, regardless of the answers it gave him, be it good or bad.

This is what led to his current activity. He was currently tracking down members of the Dark Guild, Eisenwald. There were whispers in the wind of them obtaining [Lullaby], an artefact of Zeref that was said to be able to kill anyone who listened to its melody. It was the darkest of magic, a **Death Curse**. That alone is enough cause for concern. When you add in a group of dark mages with sketchy ideals, it makes for an undesirable situation. Natsu chose to hunt down these mages, not only to stop whatever dastardly plan they might have conjured up, but more importantly to see if he could stimulate his memories by coming into contact with one of Zeref's artefacts. It was a dangerous game that he was playing and Natsu knew it well enough, but his curiosity needed to be quenched and he refused to be in the dark about who he really is any longer.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

"Please spare me! I told you everything that I know! I swear it!" An unkempt looking man begged pitifully. His worn clothing was singed with burns and there were multiple bruises on his body. Blood caked his face and one of his eyes was swollen shut, providing evidence to the beating that he had obviously taken. This man was a member of Eisenwald. He wasn't very high up the chain of command, but he knew enough to make him relevant to the one who wanted information from him. The perpetrator of said beating just looked on dispassionately at the whimpering man, not at all affected by his plea for mercy.

Natsu had done a lot of growing up in the last two years not just emotionally, but physically as well. He stood at an impressive 5 ft. 11 inches, not bad for a 17 year old who still had a few more years to fill out. His physique improved tremendously from all the concentrated work outs that he did over the years, giving him a lean and toned body that was defined to perfection with powerfully compressed muscles. His onyx coloured eyes sharpened as the lingering baby fat melted off his face leaving him with a sharp, angular jaw that had more than a few woman swooning. He let his hair grow out a little at it now reached just passed his neck with a small portion hanging just about his eyes and two bangs framing his face, giving him a shaggy mane of salmon coloured hair that just added to the feral nature of his looks **(AN:/ His hair is the same as after the one year time skip following the Tartaros Arc)**.

His wardrobe underwent an overhaul as well. He switched out his black vest and white shorts for something a little more striking. He now donned black cargo pants, with a brown studded belt around his waist that was tucked into black leather boots that reached his calf. On his torso, he wore a skin-tight purple shirt that reached his neck and hugged the perfectly defined contours of his body, showing off his washboard abs and his well sculpted pectoral muscles. He also opted to wear a strange piece of clothing that covered only his shoulder area and his arms that was held together by black buckle in the middle of his chest. The piece of clothing was black in colour with gold lining the edges. All in all, it looked like a long-sleeved shirt that was missing the torso **region (AN:/ I'm not sure how well I described it but this is the outfit that Gray wore during the Tartaros arc. Google it for a better picture or just check out episode 67 of the second season of the anime)**. He wore a long black high-collared cloak over his this along with his signature scarf around his neck.

He made for quite an intimidating sight, especially to the dark mage currently snivelling on the floor from the intense beating that was administered to him at the hands of Natsu. Seeing that he got all that he could out of the man, Natsu knocked him out with a swift chop to the back of the neck before dropping him off at the nearest outpost of the Rune Knights.

According to the man, whose name Natsu didn't bother to remember, the one currently leading Eisenwald was ace of the Guild, the one they call the **Shinigami** , Erigor. His plans were largely unknown to those outside his inner circle, but what the man did know was that they had successfully located [Lullaby]. The good news for Natsu was that there was a seal on the artefact, meaning that they couldn't just use it off the bat. They needed someone well versed in [Dispel] to unseal the artefact. The bad news was that they had such a person. Natsu wasn't sure how long they actually had [Lullaby] for, but he was sure that if they had unsealed it by now, then it would have been all over the news along with whatever atrocities Eisenwald would have committed with it. That told him that he still had time to intercept them. Luckily, his latest victim received orders just before Natsu got to him to mobilise towards Onibus. That was enough for Natsu to go on a he activated his **Hyper Drive** , his own branch of [Speed Magic], and vanished in a blur. It was full speed ahead to Onibus.

…Minutes later…

It took Natsu no longer than a few minute to traverse the distance between Cabstrut, the village that he was in located near the outskirts of the capital, and Onibus.

Natsu had a much better grasp of his [Speed Magic] now as compared to the time of his fight with Erza. That was a bit of an eye opener to him as it showed him that he still had a long way to go if he wanted to reach the levels that he intended. After being promoted, he threw himself into his training…doubling and sometimes even tripling his existing regimens. It all paid off though, as he felt a lot more powerful now and his magic improved leaps and bounds. It helped that S-Class quests were a lot more demanding on one's body and magic. It allowed him to push himself in extreme situations and get used to different scenarios of battle. He may have been the only mage in the world who used the coveted S-Class missions as a glorified training exercise. It helped that the rewards offered for each quest were quite lucrative. Natsu could go the rest of his life without taking another mission and he would still have enough money to live in the lap luxury.

As he finally reached Onibus, he heard a commotion at the station. He quickly switched directions and headed towards the station. He could sense a large build-up of magic around the station. It was enough to tell him that the festivities were already underway. As he got closer to the station, he picked up the large **Wind Wall** surrounding it. It was clearly the work of Erigor, who was said to be highly skilling in [Wind Magic]. The question though, was who Erigor wanted to trap as the **Wind Wall** was a spell that prevented escape by anyone that it surrounded.

Natsu concentrated his senses and tuned out any background interferences as he focused on his task. It was faint, the vortex of wind in front of him making it a little more difficult, but it was enough for his sharp senses to pick up. He identified the scents of Erza, Gray, Elfman and the newcomer that Erza picked up in Hargeon, Lucy. It seems that most likely Erza got wind of Eisenwald's activities just as he did and decided to do something about it. It was an admirable effort, but she they may have been a bit too brash in their application. As evidenced by their current state. He wasn't much better in that regard, but he was free while they were trapped by a giant **Wind Wall** so he was definitely better off. He pondered whether or not to break them out, but decided against it. He was strapped for time and didn't have enough to deal with the mess they got themselves into. The most important thing right now was to apprehend Erigor and stop whatever plans he has. The others will be safe until they find a way to break themselves out.

His decision made, Natsu latched onto Erigor's faint scent, along with the powerful stench of death that lingered in the air, no doubt thanks to [Lullaby]. He activated his [Speed Magic] once again and took off after Erigor.

He had only been travelling about a minute or so before he spotted the man flying over the railway between Onibus and Clover Town. Natsu didn't really get what the guy was up to as there wasn't much in Clover Town that would interest any mage, let alone a dark one. It was a merchant town with a few magic shops but nothing grandiose. The only large event that takes place in Clover Town is the regular Guild Masters meeting….Natsu jolted in realisation when he thought of that. It seemed that Erigor was after the Guild Masters for some reason if his deduction was true. It didn't make much sense to Natsu as those guys had the power to destroy someone like Erigor before he could even blink, regardless if he had [Lullaby] with him or not. As Natsu neared him, he saw that Erigor was too high up in the air for Natsu to get a meaningful hit, so he activated a spell of his own.

" **Red Carpet"**

Fuchsia coloured flames came to life beneath his feet and propelled him into the air where he proceeded to land a bone crunching drop kick to the back of Erigor's head, sending the man crashing into the railway. Erigor didn't notice it, but his body briefly glowed red before it disappeared. Natsu used his flames to slowly lower himself to the ground before he cancelled his spell.

The sound of coughing was heard as the dust began to clear to show Erigor holding the back of his neck in pain. The man eyes zeroes in on Natsu before glaring hatefully.

"You damn Fairy fly! You people just keep popping up like cockroaches. You were lucky to get a cheap shot on me but it's over for you now." Erigor seethed at Natsu with an ugly sneer on his face.

Natsu just rolled his eyes at his cliché behaviour, wondering if all dark mages get tutored at some kind of convention to allow them to behave as such bland villains. He didn't care much though as Erigor was already taken care of.

Erigor tried activating a silver magic circle, clearly intending on taking Natsu out, before his body lit up in red and a magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

"What?!" He shouted in shock at the turn of events. He looked to Natsu, who was staring at him with a bored look on his face.

"What? Did you expect some epic battle to take place where we struggle over the legendary artefact that will lead the world to ruin like some fantasy novel?" Natsu snorted in amusement before he stared coldly at Erigor. "Don't flatter trash. You aren't as high up the food chain as you think you are."

" **Eruption"**

Erigor's screams of agony were drowned out by the roar of fire that consumed him. When the flames died off, Erigor was revealed to be badly charred, but still alive. He had lost consciousness, probably due to his mind not being able to withstand the pain he was forced to endure. Natsu honestly had no time to deal with this joker and whatever monologue he planned on going on.

He calmly walked over to the smoking body of the so called **Shinigami** before slowly sifting through his pockets. He eventually found what he was looking for when he pulled out a creepy wooden flute in the shape of a three-eyed skull. The negative vibes that Natsu was getting from the object was telling. He could feel the flute resonating with something deep within him. His magic was pulsing and his [Flames of Desolation] were begging to be released onto the object. It wasn't a pleasant discovery for Natsu, who clearly understood that this artefact of Zeref clearly had some tie-ins with what he was trying to understand about himself. Whether it was the actual artefact itself, or the magic of Zeref he didn't know…but he was resolved to find out.

"I'M TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU COWARDLY WIZARDS TO UNLEASH ME! I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE! I WILL DEVOUR ALL THOSE DELICIOUS SOULS MYSELF!" A gravelly voice roared from the flute in Natsu's hand and an eerie purple smoke began to be released from the mouth of the skull. A large magic circle appeared above Natsu as [Lullaby] was clearly intending to activate its combat form. Natsu knew well enough about this from the research he did about the flute. It was a branch of [Living Magic] that allowed the flute to gain sentience and a monstrous form. It was artefacts like this that gave rise to the legends of the Demons of Zeref.

Natsu was having none of that though as his hands lit up with a crimson fire that encompassed the entire flute.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGHH!" Lullaby's voice roared in agony as Natsu's [Flames of Desolation] ate away at it. His control of his power increased exponentially over the last year and a half and Natsu increased the potency and the speed of his crimson flames. They were now extremely dangerous, even more so than before especially if used against mages of a lesser quality, as if Natsu lost control of it…they would be eradicated. Of course, the chances of that happening were slim as his control was impeccable. He made sure of that when he realised how dangerous these flames truly were. Natsu mostly used his [Flames of Desolation] on monsters or beasts that he hunts though, as it was better to be safe than sorry. "AAAARRGH! STOP PLEASE!" Lullaby begged as Natsu tortured him slowly. Suddenly the flames vanished, letting [Lullaby] breathe a sigh of relief. Those flames were dangerous. He could literally feel it eating away at his very being, threatening to burn him out of existence. "YOU? WHO ARE YOU? THOSE FLAMES FELT SIMILAR TO A CURSE." That caught Natsu's attention.

"Curse? Explain yourself." He ordered sternly. Lullaby thought of resisting, not wanting to allow the indignity of being threatened into submission by a mere human, but Natsu's hand suddenly lit up in a crimson glow and Lullaby rapidly re-evaluated is options.

"CURSES ARE THE POWER THAT IS USED BY THE ETERIOUS CREATED BY ZEREF, LIKE MYSELF. IT IS A RACE OF CREATURES CREATED BY ZEREF THAT YOU HUMANS NAÏVELY CALL DEMONS. OUR CURSES ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO MAGIC AS IT IS FUELED BY NEGATIVE EMOTIONS INSTEAD OF ETHERNANO." Lullaby hurriedly explained, fearing for its life.

Natsu was struck by the information that he was provided with. Curses used by the Demons of Zeref, or the Etherious, were powered by Negative emotions. Just like his [Flames of Desolation]. Natsu felt an icy grip on his heart at the conclusions that he was coming to. While the most natural response was to assume that he was possibly one of these Etherious, Natsu didn't fully believe that. For one, his [Flame of Desolation] didn't solely run on his negative emotions. They drained his magic container whenever he used it, just like any other magic would. His negative emotions were just the trigger that allowed him to bring it to the surface so it wasn't a Curse per say. It was close enough though. There was definitely more of this puzzle that he was missing.

"Tell me, can these Etherious use magic?" He questioned the flute.

"OF COURSE NOT! NOT THAT WE NEED TO ANYWAY! CURSES ARE FAR SUPERIOR!" The demonic flute answered indignantly.

That cleared some of Natsu's doubts as he could freely wield magic as well as, in some cases better than, most mages. He therefore couldn't be one of these Etherious. That being said, he couldn't deny that there was definitely some connection between them. The resonance that he felt with [Lullaby] as well as the nature of his [Flames of Desolation], which was now revealed to carry properties of Curse power, was no coincidence. He needed to investigate this further.

"Well, you were pretty useful for a tasteless looking flute. I'm afraid though, that you have outlived your usefulness. I can't allow something like you to be lying around, especially if weaklings like Eisenwald could so easily get their hands on you." Natsu said coldly.

"NO! WAIT!" Lullaby pleaded frantically but Natsu was hearing none of it as he engulfed the flute in his crimson flames. It took only a few seconds before the so called Demon was reduced to ashes.

Natsu sighed tiredly at the revelations that he experienced today. While he was happy to have some answers, once again they just seemed to lead to more questions. He put it to the back of his mind though, as he had more important things to deal with right now. He looked over to the still unconscious body of Erigor, before he [Re-Quipped] a pair of magic cancelling handcuffs. There was still work to be done.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Natsu had a bored look on his face as he trudged through the halls of the Magic Council in Era. He would have been a picture of normality if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently dragging an unconscious Erigor, whose face was repeatedly bouncing off the floor, by a rope as he made his way through the building. The workers around him could only look on with a sweat-drop as they watched him nonchalantly do this like it was an everyday occurrence. Although, considering that he was a Fairy Tail mage, it probably wasn't too much of a stretch for them to think that. It was common knowledge that mages of Fairy Tail were anything but conventional.

Natsu ignored the whispers around him as he walked. He was heading towards the council chambers to have a word with those useless old farts that think they run the show. He made no secret that he had absolutely no respect for the Magic Council or whatever authority they thought they had, something that irked them to no end. He didn't care though as he had no time to entertain a bunch a power hungry old fools who were under the impression that they shit ice-cream and farted rainbows. Despite his obvious disrespect for them, they never did anything to him…not that they could. He never committed any crimes, in fact it was the total opposite. He regularly apprehended Dark Guilds and bandits, something that earned him widespread fame and adoration from the general public, especially once his exploits were spread by those that he saved. Add in his power, his good looks and his rebellious personality, he was instantly a favourite of the citizens of Fiore who loved to hear of the exploits of their resident bad boy.

Needless to say, it was a headache for the Council to deal with. They were a group that thrived on good public relations and any actions taken towards the beloved **Crimson Chaos** , especially since he was a model citizen for the most, would result in horrible repercussions. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and bear with him, just as they did with the rest of his Guild. Well, not all of them. There were a few on the Council who quite enjoyed the [Fire Dragon Slayer] and his anti-authority attitude, finding his antics highly amusing.

Natsu knew though, that those scheming bastards will eventually try something to get rid of him and Fairy Tail. He wasn't too worried about it though, because he knew that they were doomed to fail. It was inevitable for those that dared to bear their fangs at him or his Guild.

With a tired sigh, Natsu pushed open the doors to the main Council room. He had to mentally prepare himself to deal with these high-strung idiots. None of the council guards bothered to stop him, knowing that they couldn't even if they wanted to but also because this scene became familiar to them over the last year and now they didn't even bat an eyelash at it.

All discussion came to a grinding halt as Natsu walked into the room, casually dragging an unconscious man behind him. They were obviously in the middle of a heated debate before he walked in, but that was reduced to a few groans of displeasure upon spotting him, with the one odd giggle of delight from the only tolerable Council member in Natsu's opinion.

"Dragneel." Councilman Org ground out in annoyance.

"Unimportant Side Character # 6, it's good to see you again." Natsu answered with an infuriating smirk on his face. Org's frown of displeasure only deepened at Natsu's impertinent response. Councilwoman Milkovich seemed to have the opposite reaction if her amused giggles were anything to go by. Councilman Siegrain found the situation enjoyable a well of according to the amused smirk that he had on his face.

"You insufferable brat! You dare interrupt an important Council meeting to disrespect us while dragging in some road kill behind you!" Councilman Michello fumed at Natsu. He was one of the most outspoken Councillors when it came to Natsu and the Fairy Tail Guild, not even hiding his distaste for them.

"Oya, if it isn't Nigel. I see your face still looks as though you've been smelling something horrible. In case you haven't realised it by now, it's called body odour. A piece of advice little guy, some deodorant or even some antiperspirant will go a long way to making things more bearable for you and your fellow Councillors. I'm sure Councilwomen Milkovich and Belno would appreciate it." Natsu advised, purposely getting the man's name wrong. His look of faux sympathy was fooling no one as Michello's face turned an ugly shade of puce upon hearing his comments. Natsu didn't have many hobbies aside from training, fighting as trying to uncover his past, but messing with the Magic Council was something that he enjoyed immensely. It was a guilty pleasure of his.

"Just tell us what you want, Dragneel. I would like to get back to what we were discussing before you rudely interrupted us." Org stated while tiredly massaging his forehead, hoping to stem the headache that he could feel coming on. He also didn't have the energy to listen to another one of Michello's rants about Fairy Tail and their uncouth members.

"Don't worry, this pertains to your previous discussion. What? Don't look at me like that. I'm a [Dragon Slayer]. You should have realised by now that nothing escapes my senses." Natsu stated, adding the rest when he saw the alarmed looks that they sent him. He also took the time to emphasise his last point, something that had at least two Councillors shift nervously. "If you didn't already notice it, the man behind me is the so-called **Shinigami** , Erigor." He said while pointing behind him with his thumb. They Council looked on in astonishment as the subject of their heated debate was lying unconscious and hog-tied on their floor. Natsu then held up a clear plastic bag that was filled with what looked like ashes. "And this, is the infamous [Lullaby]." This got an even more shocked response as a few of them actually choked on their saliva upon seeing one of the most feared artefacts reduced to a pile of ashes. "Once again I seem to have done your jobs for you and prevented a catastrophe from happening. You're welcome." Natsu finished with a shit-eating grin on his face. There were many emotions that were being felt by the Councillors. Shock, indignation, exasperation, amusement and even a little fear. While most of them couldn't stand Natsu, none could argue with his efficiency and his abilities as a mage. Not that they didn't try. "I expect the accurate amount to be transferred into my bank account by the end of the day. Not to mention the credit of this deed going to my Guild." He stated airily, although most of them could pick up the underlying threat in his words. "Well, that all I wanted to say. I'd prefer not to spend an extended time being exposed to you people. Until the next time." He stated before vanishing from the spot.

There was absolute silence in the room, until it was predictably broken by the member who had a hard time keeping his mouth shut.

"That little bastard! I can't stand him!" Michello raged in his seat. It was convenient that he waited for Natsu to leave before saying that, something that the others noticed but didn't say anything about.

"Ara, I think he's quite cute. He has that bad-boy charm about him that just makes me want to take care of him." Councilwoman Milkovich stated as she giggled into the sleeve of her kimono. Councilwoman Belno just shook her head at the younger woman's antics but silently agreed with her. She thought back to the other [Dragon Slayer] that she knew of and concurred with Ultear's opinion. The meeting dissolved into another heated debate one again, as was usual for the Magic Council.

One man though, was allowing his mind to work overtime to figure out whether or not Natsu would be a hindrance to his plans. While he was confident in his power, especially seeing as though he was one of the 10 Wizard Saints, Siegrain still couldn't discount the unpredictable nature of the **Crimson Chaos**. He would keep his eye on the man, just as he has ever since his name became prevalent in the last year and a half. He would make sure that nothing stood in his way of achieving his dream of paradise.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It has been a few days since his impromptu meeting with the Magic Council and Natsu was currently hanging off the edge of a boat, trying his best to keep from throwing up. He was currently on his way to Galuna Island. Natsu got a lead from one of his seedier contacts about a large monster encased in ice that was transported to this Island three years ago. The man didn't have much other information to give him, but he did describe the beast as something that looked quite demonic. That was enough for Natsu to at least check it out in the event it could be one of Zeref's Demons, or rather, one of his Etherious.

Which leads Natsu to his current predicament. He strong-armed a local sailor in Hargeon to give him a lift to the supposedly cursed Island. The man consented reluctantly, stating that he would take Natss to the waters near the island but he wouldn't go any closer. That was fine with Natsu so he agreed. That led to his current quandary. Despite his enormous rise in power and his increased skill in magic, there was little he could do about his one crippling weakness…motion sickness. In fact, it seemed that the more powerful he became, the worse his motion sickness got. Thankfully, thanks to the large amount of time he spent meditating, he was able to circumvent it slightly. For example, if he was on a train or carriage, which was mostly linear in motion, he could centre himself and resist the more extreme reactions of his motion sickness, like the urge to constantly throw up. It was still highly uncomfortable for him to experience, but he could at least control himself to a certain extent. Being on a boat or a ship however, was a different kettle of fish. The constant motion and the unpredictable bobbing had him barely able to keep the contents of his stomach down. He didn't think he would ever be able to get to the point he did with trains or carriages when it came to aquatic transportation.

"W-We're here…" The sailor said in a shaky voice as he steadfastly avoided gazing at the island.

Natsu collected himself enough to gaze at the ominous piece of land that was in front of him. He gave the man his thanks before clicking his fingers, causing a red magic circle to appear at the tips of his fingers.

" **Red Carpet"**

Fuchsia coloured flames appeared beneath his feet, before they propelled him into the air. Natsu hung in the air for a while, carefully surveying the island before he darted forwards, his flames leaving a trail in the sky as he shot off.

He landed on the outskirts of the island, far away from the local village. Normally, he would gather information from the local village, but from what he could tell, these people probably didn't even know what was happening on their island. He could sense a large congregation of mages on the opposite side of the village, in the direction of what looked like a large temple. Without much preamble, Natsu made his way towards the place. He was sure that it was the place that had what he was seeking. His senses told him that none of the mages posed much of a threat to him. There was one who had a bit of power, but he was probably around the level of Gray so he didn't pose any danger to Natsu. There was one though, that seemed to be lurking in the background. It was quite a powerful signature, comparable to Erza. There was also a strange quality to their magic that made Natsu ensure that he was on alert around this person if he ever encountered them.

He made these observations without breaking his stride as he made his way towards the temple. There was a hint of danger in the air and he could feel the large gathering of magic that was concentrated within the temple. He wasn't sure what would cause such a phenomenon but he was sure it wasn't anything good.

He stealthily entered the temple before making his way towards the area with the most potent concentration of magic. It was unfortunate that the nature of the temple and the sheer number of people that seemed to be inhabiting it made it almost impossible to identify any scents as he normally would be able to. He made a note to memorise the sensations of their magic though, in case he ever encountered them in the future.

After a few minutes of walking, he finally came to a large room that had an eerie glow about it with a powerful presence lingering in the air. As he got deeper into the room, he found the source of his investigation and the reason he came to this island. Right before him, encased in a large chunk of ice, was the monstrous form of one of the Demons of the Book of Zeref. If Natsu's memory served him right, the description of this Demon matched that of Deliora, the Demon of Destruction. He had read all about this one as it was probably the most infamous and well know of Zeref's Demons. From his knowledge, it was defeated by a powerful [Ice Mage], Ur Milkovich. He spent enough time in the North to hear of the rumours. It was quite an impressive feat in Natsu's opinion. The woman was apparently considered to be at the strength of a Wizard Saint and was considered for the position before her untimely death.

Natsu put his palm against the ice and closed his eyes in concentration as he tried to get a feel of it. His face went through a multitude of emotions during this time, from shock to disappointment to finally a resigned sense of awe.

He could tell that it was no ordinary ice as it was literally thrumming with life. It would be almost impossible to break. He was certain that if he tried enough, his [Flames of Desolation] could possibly melt it, but that would take a long time and a lot of magic power. He wouldn't be testing that theory out though. While he had hoped that he could get some answers on this island, it seemed that he wouldn't be as lucky as he was with [Lullaby]. He could clearly tell that Deliora was dead and he has been for a long time. It made him elevate his opinion of Ur Milkovich even further. He spent a few minutes admiring the work of the late [Ice Mage] before paying his final respects to the no doubt extraordinary woman before leaving.

He wouldn't be getting any answers here and he saw no pint in remaining here any further. As he made his way to the edge of the island, preparing to depart, he felt three familiar signatures nearing the village. Erza, Gray and Anna's descendant, Lucy. It seemed that there was more going on, just as he thought, considering the large group of mages in the temple and the fact that they brought Deliora here. Normally he would stick around to watch over them from the shadows, but Natsu knew he didn't have to worry with Erza around. She was someone that would always get the job done and he respected her strength, even if he didn't respect her, so he knew Gray and Lucy were in good hands.

"Good luck." He whispered before activating his **Red Carpet** and leaving the island.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

It has been much of the same for Natsu in the following days. He's been obsessively pursuing any leads that he could about Zeref or any of his creations. However, he was having little luck in that regard. It was beginning to wear on his nerves. He knew he needed to be a little more patient, but after the revelations that he squeezed out of [Lullaby], his thirst for more information just grew tenfold. He realised that it wasn't a healthy state of mind to be in, but he didn't know what else to do at this point. He finally got the conclusive proof that he was looking for that indicated that there was some connection between himself and Zeref. Taking into account all of the other coincidences surrounding him, like his missing memory that he just recently recovered along with his time-travel theory, he was understandably anxious.

He needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off his current worries. It was times like this that made him miss Lisanna and Happy. They were experts at spotting his dwindling mood and always came up with the best ways to cheer him up. Whenever he was down about another dead-end to his quest for finding Igneel, they would take him out into the woods and have themselves a little adventure, often times role-playing. They would laugh joyfully while running around the forest until Natsu forgot all of his problems and there was a happy smile on his face once more. Natsu smiled fondly as he recalled those happy memories. He truly missed the two of them. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think of them. He wasn't a religious person, but often times he would clasp his hands in prayer and speak to them, telling them about his adventures so far and the different antics he would get up to.

He knew people might consider him crazy, but it was a therapeutic experience for him. He realised that he was an incredibly lonely person. But he also knew that it was also his fault in a way. In his grief at losing the two people he loved the most, he pulled away from everyone else and shut himself away from any bonds that may have formed. He was afraid of being abandoned. It was his greatest fear and he knew this. He was abandoned by his parents, as far as he knew, he was abandoned by Igneel and he was abandoned by Lisanna and Happy. He knew that the last two had no choice in the matter and that it was an unfortunate tragedy, but the pain still stung him to this day. So he took the easy way out and cut his ties with everyone, fearing that he would eventually be abandoned again. At least, that's what he told himself. He told himself that if he stopped caring, then it would prevent him from feeling that soul crushing pain ever again. It was a cowardly thing to do in his eyes, but he convinced himself that he would be fine on his own. He didn't regret his choice at all as it still felt like the right thing to do, but that didn't mean that he didn't miss the company.

Natsu was currently sitting in a pub in a town called Velbra. It wasn't as big as Magnolia, but it was a fairly productive town. He was enjoying a meal of fish and chips when he heard something that instantly caught his attention.

"Hey, did you hear what Gajeel did to those Fairy Butts?"

"Eh? What did he do?"

"Where were you last night when he got back? He not only destroyed their guild hall but he also took out three of their members. Some weak three person team with a blue haired midget. I heard that they will be in the hospital for a while after he got through with them."

"Wont that cause Fairy Tail to retaliate though?"

"Ha! From what I heard, Master Jose is actually expecting those weaklings to come at us."

"Hoh…knowing him, he definitely has a plan in mind."

"Of course he does idiot! This is Master Jose we're talking about here."

Natsu eyes were shadowed as his body trembled. His hand started to crack the table he was gripping tightly. The words those idiots spoke were racing through his head rapidly. It seemed that Phantom Lord had finally overstepped their boundaries. In most cases, he wouldn't bother with this little spat, but from what he could gather from what those idiots were saying, it seemed that Jose was baiting Master Makarov into attacking Phantom Lord. Knowing how the old man thought, Natsu knew with absolute certainty that he would do just that. He was just as brash and foolhardy as the rest of Fairy Tai, Natsu included. Add to that, it seemed as though Levy, Jet and Droy were the targets of the attack from the description. Natsu would never say it out loud, but he had a bit of a soft spot for the timid bookworm. She was a naturally kind person and didn't have a mean bone in her body. So the thought of some asshole, even of it was Gajeel, roughing her up made his blood boil and his protective instincts flare uncontrollably.

Natsu constantly told himself that he wouldn't stick his nose in Fairy Tail's business. That he would keep them at arm's length and sever whatever bonds that he had would them. For the most part, he was successful, at least that's what he thought. There were exceptions of course, like Erza, who was annoyingly persistent. Mirajane was a constant as well, and Natsu still felt uncomfortable dealing with her which made it difficult to outright to reject her attempts at conversation with him. Naturally, he didn't contribute much to these conversations, but it seemed that Mirajane was happy enough just to have a little bit his time, which just further befuddled him. It was easier to deal with her when she was 'The Demon'. Cana was another that slowly wormed her way into conversation with him whenever he stopped at the Guild. It wasn't as often as Mirajane, but she always had a word to say or a casual remark to pass to him. Even though he often gave non-committal grunts or one words answers most of the time, it seemed it was enough to satisfy her. He honestly didn't know what else he had to do to cut his ties with them. But he knew, that despite everything that he told himself, regardless of how much he tried to convince himself…he couldn't stop himself from caring. It was an annoying trait of his personality, and as much as he wished he could get rid of it…he knew it was one of the things that Lisanna loved about him. Which is why he couldn't part with that aspect of himself. All he could do was suppress it and tell himself that he didn't care. But he did. And this situation right now was a prime example.

His anger was mounting and he knew that he couldn't stay out of this fight. Not just for Levy, but also because one of his 'siblings', Gajeel, was at the centre of it. Natsu felt that it was his duty to smack some sense into his fellow [Dragon Slayer] and drag him back onto the right path.

He paid his bill and took off towards Oak Town immediately at the fastest pace that he could. Normally he would have administered a proper beating to those Phantom worms that were in the pub earlier, but time was of the essence right now and he could only hope that he could intercept his Guild before they walked right into whatever trap that Jose had set for them.

…Later…

It annoyed him, but it took him almost an hour to reach Oak Town. He didn't even stop his pace and headed straight towards the Phantom Lord Guild hall. He took to using the roofs of the surrounding building to stay out of sight. He got there just in time to witness Erza signalling for a retreat with an unconscious and green looking Master Makarov in her arms.

Natsu stilled once again at the scene. While he may not have the best relationship with the old man, Natsu still didn't wish anything to befall the Guild Master. He was the man who brought him to the place that allowed him to meet Lisanna and Happy. It was something that he would forever be grateful for. So the sight of him looking like he was barely clinging onto life stirred something powerful within him. Natsu honestly didn't understand it. He distanced himself from everyone so that he wouldn't have to experience these emotions any longer. He thought that he was successful in his plight…so why? Why was he feeling this pain upon seeing the sight of his Guild Master looking like he was on the verge of death. Natsu could fell the conflict within him, but he ignored it. Now wasn't the time for inflection. He would just follow his gut just as he always did. Because no matter what, Fairy Tail was his home, it was the Guild Lisanna adored, it was the place that Happy was born in…and he wouldn't allow anyone to get away with trampling on those memories.

He quickly got to work in gathering the lingering magic in the air, having recognised the spell that was used against the Master. It was a variant of [Wind Magic] called **Drain**. It was a nasty spell that was designed to forcefully empty the magic container of the victim, dispersing their magic into the atmosphere. It was a type of magic that can be considered [Anti-Magic]. Natsu had encountered it once in the past on an S-Class mission and therefore had enough knowledge of how to deal with it. He knew he first had to gather the remnants of the old man's magic in the air. Normally it would take a while for his magic container to be replenished naturally, but by gathering his magic, the process can be expedited. Natsu knew that Makarov's strength would be needed for whatever Phantom Lord clearly had planned.

It didn't take him too long to gather the magic from the atmosphere. Once he was done, he turned around and was about to make his way back to Magnolia before one of the lingering Phantom Lord members said something that his powerful sense of hearing picked up and instantly caught his attention. Natsu activated his **Hyper Drive** before snatching the man and disappearing without anyone ever noticing. He appeared a few kilometres away and dropped the guy on his ass. The man looked around angrily before he caught Natsu's eye. There was a look in those onyx green eyes that promised a world of pain for the man. The uncomfortable rise in temperature along with Natsu's enormous magic power crushing down on him made the man quiver in pure terror.

"Talk." It wasn't a statement, it was a command. The man was intelligent enough to recognise it was such and immediately started spilling the beans, fearing for his life.

"M-Master Jose h-has the Heartfilia girl in custody. Th-The whole p-point of provoking Fairy Tail was so t-that he could send two of the Element Four to c-capture the g-girl. Her father apparently commissioned us to retriever her for him. P-Please…that's all I know! Please don't hurt me!" The man begged fearfully.

Natsu's jaw clenched as his anger erupted once again. It seemed that everything that Jose did managed to piss Natsu off fiercely, pushing every button that triggered feelings that he thought he locked away years ago. He didn't know Lucy personally, but she was a descendent of Anna, someone that he viewed as a mother for that was the closest comparison he could make to the woman who practically raised him. He wouldn't allow Jose to lay his filthy hands on Anna's family.

"Where is she being kept?" Natsu questioned coldly.

"There's an outpost at the edge of town. It a large tower. You can't miss it." The man answered frantically.

Natsu nodded before delivering a swift chop to the back of his neck, knocking him out. He activated his [Speed Magic] once more before covering the distance between himself and the tower in seconds. His sharp eyes pick out Lucy's curtain of golden blonde hair at the highest point of the tower. She was standing on the ledge with her back facing Natsu. It seemed that she tried to escape but was left with nowhere to run.

Natsu knew he had to act quickly and without alerting Jose of his involvement. It was better that the man didn't know he was around. It would make him cocky and hopefully make his job easier when the time came. He didn't stop his **Hyper Drive** as he approached the tower. As he got to within the correct distance, he used his [Purple Flare] and sent a tendril of flames that wrapped around Lucy's ankle and dragged her off the tower, sending her plummeting to the ground. He acted quickly and with a monstrous jump and a quick burst of pace, he scooped her up in his arms and he got her out of the vicinity of the tower and out of the line of vision of Jose. Mission accomplished.

He looked to the girl in his arms and saw that she was unconscious. He chuckled at that. The shock of being yanked off the tower and plummeting to her death probably terrified her. He forgot that she wasn't used to those kind of crazy situations yet. This worked out well for him though, as he preferred her not meeting him yet. He put those thoughts in the back of his mind as he set a blistering pace towards Magnolia.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Natsu dropped the unconscious Lucy off outside Porlyusica's house just as Alzack and Bisca were leaving, as well as discreetly injecting Makarov's magic back into his body. That would hopefully speed up his recovery.

He knew he had a bit of time to spare as he doubted Phantom Lord would attack just yet. Jose was probably still reeling from the loss of Lucy and would probably try to consolidate his forces. He gave the man a day at most before he launched his attack. Jose was as impetuous as a child and was prone to throwing tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted so Natsu was sure that he would attack Magnolia soon.

He calmly made his way to the outskirts of Magnolia, getting deeper into the surrounding forest. He had a small smile on his face as he trudged the familiar path. It's been a while since he's been home and he was looking forward to a relaxing sleep in his comfy bed. As the treeline broke, his house came into view. Well, calling it a house was a bit of an understatement. It was more of a small estate. He renovated his little cottage a while ago with the funds he received from his first few S-Class missions. The first thing he did was buy the surrounding property from the mayor before hiring professional contractors to get the job done. It wasn't a particular large mansion as compared to others, but it was comfortably spacious. It had five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large kitchen as well as a dining and living room. There was also a small library for all the tomes that he collected over his travels. He had a weapons storage as well for all the weapons that he picked up during his missions, even though he never used any of them. There was also a dojo that allowed him to meditate peacefully as well as hone his hand-to-hand combat skills. Finally, and the most important room to him, was his memory room. It was filled with mission papers and knick-knacks collected from every mission he has ever been on that he took as souvenirs. There were also pictures of Happy and Lisanna along the walls. This was the place he would come to whenever he was feeling particularly nostalgic. Normally, he would have been contented with his little cottage…but he remembered that before their deaths, Happy would always complain about wanting a bigger place and Lisanna would wish for a better kitchen for her to prepare meals for them. This was his way of honouring their memories in a way. It was also a testament to what he could have had if they were still alive.

Natsu entered his house to a deathly silence. He looked around sadly, almost waiting for Lisanna's customary 'Welcome home'. He shook his head to get rid of those depressing thoughts before whispering to no one in particular.

"I'm home."

It was unfortunate that once again, there was no response.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

There was a lot of buzz in the Guild Hall the next day. Many were still reeling from the defeat that they experienced at Oak Town as well as their Master being taken out of commission, but their was still a flurry of activity as they tried to regroup and prepare for the next wave. Macao and Wakaba were stocking up on explosive lacrima and Alzack and Bisca were refilling their ammo. Lucy was being 'comforted' by Elfman and Gray while Cana was using her [Card Magic] to try and pin point Natsu's location. Currently, she was having no success.

Mira was furious for the first time in a long time as she crushed a communications lacrima in her hand, having just finished an infuriating conversation with Laxus, who made no effort to hide his amusement at their struggles or the fact that his grandfather was gravely injured. Mira was disgusted at the man and couldn't believe that he was still part of this Guild. She cursed her weakness silently though, for if she was still an active mage she could have made some difference. But now she was reduced to a powerless barmaid. She hated being so weak, but there was nothing else she could do. She could only hope in her heart that Natsu would come through for them like she knew he would. She believed in him, despite his cold attitude and his indifferent personality, she knew the same warm and caring boy that she knew was in there somewhere. She would put her faith in him and hope that they would make it out of this unscathed.

Erza was in a similar state of mind in terms of cursing her weakness while allowing the hot water of the shower to cascade her body. She was right there but the Master was still taken out. She was the senior most mage in the Guild and it was up to her to rally them. She knew she had to put the self-loathing to the back of her mind for a later date. Her guild mates needed her right now and she would shoulder that burden just as she always had. Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep rumbling and the ground beneath her feet shaking, similar to an earthquake.

All of Fairy Tail raced out of their broken Guild to a sight that made some of them shake in fear. An enormous moving fortress was making its way across the ocean right towards them. The problem being, that the numerous banners clearly indicated that this fortress belonged to Phantom Lord. The mages of Fairy Tail were caught flat footed as they were in no way ready for such a quick response from their enemies. They were still reeling from their previous defeat. Their fear was not unfounded, as with the defeat of their Master, the only S-Class mage they had available was Erza…and as powerful as she was, even she would stand no chance against the entire Element Four, Gajeel and Jose. They were in a bad way right now and their morale was dropping rapidly.

There was movement from the fortress as a large cannon slid out at the front, aimed directly at Fairy Tail. Magical energy started gathering at the tip at a rapid rate, scaring the mages even further. They knew enough to recognise this for what it was, a [Jupiter] cannon. A blast from that wold be enough to level the entire Guild along with the surrounding area, them included. There was no was any of them could stop this blast. Despair started to slowly creep in as they stared at their impending doom. That is until a flash of red caught their attention.

Erza ran to the front of the Guild and spread her arms protectively. A golden light engulfed her before it receded, showing her in her **Adamantine Armour**. She put her arms together, bringing her large shield to the forefront in an attempt to protect the Guild from the blast.

"I won't let you touch the Guild!" Erza declared firmly.

"Erza!" Mira shouted in shock at seeing what the redhead was doing.

"It's her **Adamantine Armour**." Alzack said.

"She doesn't intend to block it, does she?" Bisca gasped.

"Erza! Don't do this! There's no way you can survive a blast like that!" Gray shouted frantically.

"Get down!" Erza ordered as the blast reached full charge.

The roar of the cannon drowned out the screams of the Fairy Tail mages as the blast raced towards a defiant Erza, who didn't even blink in the face of what could be her death. She stood strong as the beam got closer, hoping that she had enough in the tank to at least protect her Guild mates.

Just as the beam got closer, it felt as if time stopped as a familiar voice permeated the air. One that made Mira's heart soar in happiness, one that had Cana cracking a sly grin and one that had even Erza showing a relieved smile.

" **Fire Dragons Whirling Embrace"**

An intense dome of orange fire rotated rapidly around Erza just as the blast struck. The dome held strong as it seemed to be fighting off the blast for about a minute before the beam broke through the flames. But it was already too late as the dome of fire did its job in arresting the momentum of the beam along with sapping some of its energy. By the time it touched Erza's shield, the blast was at a size and potency that could be easily dealt with by a mage of her calibre and it was proven as her defence held strong until the beam dissipated into nothing.

When the dust settled, everyone saw Erza, still in her **Adamantine Armour** although it looked a bit worse for wear, standing tall. Her breathing was a bit laboured and there were a few scuff marks on her, but other than that she looked to be in perfect condition.

Cheers erupted around her as the Guild celebrated not only her survival, but her stopping of the blast.

Erza shook her head in fond exasperation before looking to the left. There she spotted the one who potentially saved not only her life, but the lives of the rest of them. He was casually sitting on the branch of a tree eating a delicious looking red apple. She wanted to give him a stern expression and a proper scolding, but she couldn't as she was far too happy to see him at this point. Even though he was an insufferable bastard who constantly grated on her nerves, there was no one she would rather have in her corner when it came to a fight because she knew first-hand what a dangerous opponent he could be.

"You're late, Natsu." She said, her voice stopping the cheers as everyone looked in the direction that she was looking and spotted their [Dragon Slayer]. Their heart soared in relief as their morale sky-rocketed upon seeing him. With Natsu there along with Erza, they now had a real chance at surviving this. Those two are extremely dangerous alone, but if you put them together…well…let's just say that it's going to be a bad day for Jose. "Hmph…what are you doing sitting there eating an apple while trying to look cool. This isn't some story book fantasy where you can come in late and save the day like some kind of badass. So stop being dramatic and get over here so we can stop Jose from destroying this city." The rest of the Guild sweat-dropped nervously before revising their opinions. It would be a bad day for Jose if these two could actually go five seconds without tearing each other apart. They could see a few tick marks on Natsu's head at hearing Erza's words, which only made them more nervous. As good as Erza was, Natsu seemed to be an expert at pushing the redheaded mages buttons. Which confused them as he was normally indifferent to everything. They just assumed that pissing Erza off seemed to be some kind of amusing pastime for him. Natsu didn't say anything as he silently pulled out what looked like a paperback novel from his cloak.

"It's funny you mentioned story book fantasies, Titania. Perhaps the rest would enjoy me reading a passage out of one of the books in the great Erza Scarlet's personal library." Natsu said in a deceptively sweet tone of voice, one that mage Erza cringe and caused her face to pale as it usually meant he was going to do something that was either going to embarrass her or piss her off…or both. The rest of the guild watched the drama unfold keenly, having come to look forward to the usual clashes of these two and the vast amounts of entertainment they provided. Natsu cleared his throat dramatically before flipping to a bookmarked page and made a show of reading. "'Sweat poured down her pale body as she writhed in pleasure, barely able to maintain her state of mind. There was only so much she could take as Kimiko cried out in rapture as she was once again penetrated by Shunske's powerful meat-stick. Her entire world exploded in-'…Whoa!" Natsu's intense reading had more left more than a few people with intense blushes on their faces along with a few nosebleeds, surprisingly mostly from the females of the Guild. Some of the guys were shifting uncomfortably while adjusting their pants…while others, like Cana, were cracking up at Erza's weird taste in smut. Said woman was apoplectic as she sent hundreds of swords at Natsu who dodged with practice ease. Her eyes spoke of murder as she glared at the pink-haired bastard. She missed the good old days when she could intimidate him with a glare and beat the shit out of him. Because now, all her glare did was make his eye sparkle with satisfaction.

"I'm going to kill you…no that would be too easy…I'm going to cut off the thing that makes you a man…" Erza stated as she glared at Natsu with a demonic look in her eyes, one that even the old Mira would be proud of. The guys, like Gray and Elfman, crossed their legs at the threat. Mira sighed fondly at the usual antics of her two friends while Cana was finding the whole thing highly amusing like she always did. Natsu didn't seem to be affected by the threat, if anything, he seemed more amused which only pissed Erza off even further. She swore she would find a way to get under his seemingly impenetrable skin one of these days.

" _You insufferable brats! You worthless trash think you have bested Phantom Lord?! You think stopping one shot of my [Jupiter] cannon is enough to ensure your safety?! And you dare have the nerve to banter while I'm still right in front of you!"_ Jose's furious voices thundered over the loudspeakers in his mobile guild, instantly directing all the Guilds attention back to their main problem. There was silence as they were all once again reminded of the precarious and dangerous position they were in. Unfortunately for Jose, the tension he crated was dissolved by a certain fire-breather who didn't know how to read the atmosphere.

"Huh? You're still here?" Natsu commented airily as he scratched his head in what looked like genuine confusion. The girls, like Mira and Cana had to stifle their giggles at his behaviour, it reminded them so much of the old Natsu that they dearly missed. Gray and Erza had small smirks on their faces at his comments while Elfman had a comical amount of tears rolling down his eyes shouting about how 'manly' Natsu was. 

Even though they couldn't see it, the guild could practically feel Jose's rising anger. It was almost palpable. They could imagine the look of fury that was on his face at this moment at being disrespected in such a casual way, something that he loathed, especially from Fairy Tail.

" _You have tested my patience for the last time. You have 15 minutes until [Jupiter] recharges. Hand over Lucy Heartfilia and you will be spared my wrath. If not…then I would like to see you stop it again and come out unscathed. I can keep firing it all day and I will until your pathetic guild is wiped off the map! Despair, Fairies, for this is the end of the road for you. Makarov isn't here to save you today. You will all feel my wrath and when he wakes up, I can't wait to see the look of absolute misery on his face when he sees his precious children lying broken on the floor, bowing to the might of the number one Guild in Fiore, Phantom Lord!"_ Jose announced vindictively.

The entire atmosphere around the members of Fairy Tail changed instantly. While many of them had their differences and often times didn't see eye to eye, they were still one thing that they all universally agreed on. Nobody messes with Fairy Tail. Especially obnoxious clowns like this one who seemed to be intent of tormenting their Master, who many saw as a grandfather, all because of his petty jealousy as well as trying to hurt the newest member of their family who everybody instantly loved.

"Not on your life!" Alzack shouted in response to handing Lucy over.

"Are we a guild that hands over our friends? I don't think so!" Bisca shouted in support.

"Lucy is one of us!" Macao stated.

There were many shout of approval from the surrounding mages as Lucy felt her eyes moisten at their show of support and friendship.

"We'd rather die that sell out our friends!" Erza declared powerfully. Her words resonated through all the mages and filled them with fighting spirit. Their eyes lit up in fury and their backs straightened. They were ready to go to war for one of their own. Natsu saw this and couldn't keep the small smile off his face. Especially since Lucy was bawling her eyes out in happiness at being accepted by everyone.

The Guild was thrown for a loop when Natsu stepped forward and stood before the Phantom Lord Guild in what looked like a protective manner. It was an uncharacteristic action for him, at least it was during these last two years. He was normally pretty indifferent to whatever they did and they honestly thought that he didn't care much for them. Well, maybe he didn't, but this at least showed some of them that he isn't as heartless as they thought he was. The sight of his shaggy mane of salmon colour hair blowing in the wind coupled with his powerful back towards them filled them with hope. They could feel his power surrounding them as the warmth of his fire permeated their bodies.

"Well…you heard the man. We have 15 minutes. It's time you worthless drunks got your act together and do the only thing this guild seems to be collectively good at." Natsu said. A few faces were pinched at hearing his insult but most of them let it slide off their backs, having thicker skin than that. They smirked though, at his last comment. "There's a large building in front of us with a pretentious asshole who thinks he can step onto Fairy Tail's turf and demand one of our own. I thinks it's time he learned a valuable lesson…so do what Fairy Tail does best and tear his precious Guild to the ground. And don't you fuckers dare hold anything back!" He ordered. There was a collective cheer of approval as they all got ready. Their blood was pumping as the adrenaline kicked in. They were ready to go to war.

Natsu just shook his head in exasperation, wondering why he was going so far for these people who he told himself were strangers. As he looked around and saw their determined faces, he couldn't help but feel a little protective. He always told himself that he didn't need these people, that they were just holding him back. Which he honestly believed was true…but as he saw the smiling faces of Mira, Cana, Erza, Gray and even the new recruit Lucy…he couldn't help but wonder if he was lying to himself. He convinced himself that he was only doing this to protect Anna's descendant and to have a face-to-face with his old pal Gajeel. Well, he tried to convince himself but even he felt that his excuse was paper thin. He shook that unnecessary thought off and prepared himself for a fight. There would be time to dwell on it later, for now though…he had an [Iron Dragon Slayer] that desperately needed an asskicking. He was excited to see how strong his old friend had become.

The war had begun…

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _Phew…this was a hard one to knock out. There was very little motivation and my inspirational juices seemed to be dwindling. That was mostly due to the lack of any real action in this chapter. This will be the last of the introductory chapters as from next chapter onwards….the real action starts._

 _ **Natsu:**_ _Now, I'm not sure how well I portrayed it here…but I was hoping to get across the point…that Natsu is in deep denial. He wants to be different, he wants to not care about anyone…but it's inherently impossible for him as he's a naturally caring person. Which leads to the internal struggles that are the premise of this story._

 _I also tried to show different facets of his personality, from being playful and mischievous to being a good leader and as well as having no patience for weaklings like Erigor. For those of you that were expecting an epic fight…sorry but Erigor is small fry compared to my Natsu and it would have been an insult to drag the fight on any longer than it needed._

 _As you may have picked up…he has his memories of the other [Dragon Slayers] as well as his teacher, Anna, but he doesn't know of the circumstances behind why they were brought together or who he really is. At this point, he has nothing but conjecture. He doesn't know that he is E.N.D and he won't for some time…but there will be a few hints and clues for him to pick up, like his [Flames of Desolation]. I want to make it a journey of discovery for him as that's what this story is mainly about._

 _ **Supporting Characters:**_ _Now, while it may seem strange to some…the support cast for Natsu in this story will be different. Lucy and Gray won't be as involved with him compared to cannon. Those roles will go to Gajeel and Juvia who will be part of his inner circle so to speak. Erza, Mira, Cana and Levy will also be around and will have a few contributions._

 _With regards to Juvia and Gajeel…it always baffled me how much their strengths were underplayed in canon. They were both art of the number one Guild in Fiore and were S-Class mages, with Gajeel being the Ace. They no doubt went on numerous dangerous S-Class missions and came out unscathed. From my point of view, they are ay above people like Gray, Elfman and Lucy…but they were shown to be on par with them in canon due to some nakama bullshit. That won't be the case here. Juvia will be just below the level of Erza, who is Fairy Tail's weakest S-Class Mage, if you don't count the weakened Mira. Gajeel will be on par with Erza if not a little stronger because I refuse to have him be in the background when he's such a badass character. Expect those two to have more prominent roles._

 _ **Events:**_ _I was a bit annoyed that this chapter didn't offer much but rest assured that from here on out, things will start to diverge. Though the events will be the same, like the Oracion Seis arc and the S-Class Exams…the way they unfold will be very different._

 _ **Dual Elements:**_ _Now, I stated in the last chapter that I won't give Natsu the Lightning-Flame Dragon mode. This is due to the fact that I believe Hiro introduced it as a cheap power-up…then let it fall away without properly developing it. I mean, during the fight with Hades, we saw the secondary effects of the lightning in Natsu's attacks but after that, it was never shown again. Also, why couldn't Natsu transform his body into lightning and move as fast as Laxus does. We saw Gajeel do it when he ate Rouge's shadow. He was instantly able to transform his body into a shadow and moved just as well as Rouge. So that kind of killed my excitement for Natsu's lightning power up._

 _I will definitely do Gajeel's Iron-Shadow Dragon mode though…because that one is way too badass to pass up._

 _Also, in case some of you didn't put it together…Fire Dragons Whirling Embrace was inspired by the Hyuuga's Hakushou Kaiten._

 _Concerning those reviewers that want Natsu to have [Fire God Slayer] or [Fire Devil Slayer] magic…I'm a bit iffy with those. Mainly due to the fact that we never got a proper explanation for them. At east with [Dragon Slayer Magic], we got the lore behind it. There was a Dragon Civil war and Dragons taught their magic to humans to help them turn the tide and so on. That made sense…_

 _But why would a God teach his/her magic to a human? More importantly…all the God Slayers in the manga learnt their magic from tomes. So why is it [God Slayer Magic] if it isn't even taught by Gods? If Hiro gave us an explanation, I could accept it…but he just randomly dumped it on us and made it more powerful than [Dragon Slayer Magic]._

 _[Devil Slayer Magic] makes even less sense to me. Most of the demon that we see are those created by Zeref i.e. the Etherious. The only other demons shown were those from Galuna Island and they were about as strong as a weak mage. So that begs the question…where did [Devil Slayer Magic] come from? Why would Zeref's demons, who don't even use magic in the first place, teach their 'magic' to a bunch of humans, who they have shown to loathe, that would allow them to kill demons? It makes zero sense to me. Add to that, Natsu wasn't able to melt Silver's ice…because apparently, [Devil Slayer Magic] is stronger than [Dragon Slayer Magic]…which to my brain seems implausible. I feel that Hiro introduced [Devil Slayer Magic] just as a way to give Gray a cheap power-up to keep him at Natsu's level. Therefore…I doubt there will be any [Devil Slayer Magic] in this story because I'm honestly thinking of revamping Tartaros. They were pretty disappointing as a Guild and I expected more from them. I am thinking that apart from Kyoka, Sayla, Tempesta, Torafusa and Mard…the rest of them were absolutely useless. But even Mard is annoying._

 _I have two diverging paths in my mind as I look ahead. One is that the events of Tenroujima go ahead as usual with them being stuck in a tie bubble. Or the other is where Natsu is ejected from the bubble, due to some force that will be later thought of, and he takes over Tartaros and grooms them as his personal army after killing Mard Geer for using his name to start his own Guild. What do you think? These aren't concrete and are just some of the many ideas that are floating in my mind so don't take them to be anything definitive._

 _ **Juvia:**_ _Concerning Juvia, as I've stated before…she is definitely the main pairing. While I said I would consider a Harem, again…nothing is definitive. But for now, this will be a single pairing only until my lovely readers tell me otherwise._

 _As I stated above, Juvia strength will be a lot more tangible in this story. I hated that all her battles seemed to revolve around Gray. She is a powerful woman and she didn't need any other motivation. So while I love Juvia's stalkerish tendencies and her overactive imagination…don't expect her to be as over the top as in cannon. There won't be instant love with them and they won't be in a relationship until much later. She will still have an obsessive crush on Natsu and will be annoyingly persistent in pursuing him and pulling him out of his shell…which is just what he needs at this point…but she won't be as annoyingly happy-go-lucky as cannon. I see Juvia and Natsu as similar people. They both had lonely childhoods and were bullied by others for being different. They both worked hard to hone their strength and they rose to the top. Juvia has done many S-Class missions as such I expect she's seen the darker side of the world. So expect her to be a little darker and more clinical in her fights…along with showing the impressive strength we all know she has. Think of it as her having two different 'modes'. When she's with Natsu, her softer more positive nature shines through but when the fighting starts…a flip is switched and she turns into a cold and efficient fighter._

 _Oh! Before I forget, because I know some of you will point this out…the reason Natsu didn't pick up Ultear's scent in Galuna is because every time he's dealt with her, it's been a though projection. Which isn't too unbelievable as Jellal fooled the entire Magic Council for years into thinking he had a twin brother with a fucking though projection! How?! How stupid are those councillors? Aren't they supposed to be the greatest magical minds in the country? You would think at least one of them would notice…_

 _I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be out soon. I've having a hard time getting inspiration as all I see on this sight are a multitude of NaLu fics. I don't mind the pairing and I actually like Lucy as a character…but sweet Cesar's ghost...the amount of NaLu stories is headache inducing. It's gotten to the point where I just skip over the description as soon as I see the listed characters. Not to mention the amount of High School AU's that are out there as well as the ones where Lucy gets 'betrayed', leaves for one year and comes back with enough power to finger-flick Gildarts into oblivion, are ridiculous . So what I'm trying to say…is that if any of you can recommend some good 'Natsu x any other pairing but Lucy'…I would greatly appreciate it._

 _That's enough out of me. Your reviews will be greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing from you. Till next time…_

 _Lionheart021 out!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Clash of The Dragons

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all associated content belongs to Hiro Mashima.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

" **Attack Names"**

 **Technique/Ability Names/Monikers**

[Types of Magic]

 _ ***Flashbacks***_

 _Speaker/Projections_

*Note: See end of chapter concerning future updates.

 **xxxxxxx**

 **Chapter 5: Clash of The Dragons**

After allowing them a few moments of hype, Natsu quickly took control of the situation.

"All right, listen up!" He called out in an authoritative voice, immediately stopping their cheers and focusing their attention on him. "There's still work to be done, so save your cheers for later. The **Element Four** and **Black Steel** are still in there. Gray, Elfman, Titania. You guys are with me. We're breaking in and taking them out. The rest of you stay back and defend Magnolia." He ordered. He got nods from Gray, who looked torn between being annoyed at being ordered around by Natsu as well as excited for a good fight, and Elfman, who was shouting about how manly it was to charge the enemy base. Erza's left eyebrow was twitching violently at not only being ordered around by her, according to Erza at least, nemesis but also due to the fact that he still refused to address her by her name. At this point she knew that he was doing it on purpose but it didn't stop her from being mightily annoyed at him for it. "Cana, can I trust you to hold the fort?" Natsu questioned the resident lush.

"Fufufu…leave it to me, Natsu!" She answered with a confident grin as she brandished her trademark cards. Natsu smirk imperceptibly before nodding.

"All right, let's go!" He ordered before activating his **Red Carpet** and taking to the skies.

" **Ice Make: Stairs"**

Gray activated his spell before forming a solid looking set of stairs that connected to the entrance of the [Jupiter] cannon for the three of them. Erza, Gray and Elfman all took off, charging up the stairs and into the mobile Guild.

"You heard the man! Let's make sure Jose regrets ever stepping foot in our town." Cana declared confidently, getting raucous cheers from her Guild mates who were inspired by her confidence and her assurance.

Macao and Wakaba looking on in amazement. For them, who had known Cana the longest, and arguably the best, to see her stand tall and proud in the face of a dangerous opponent was truly a revelatory moment. No longer was she the cute little girl who loved to hear stories of their crazy adventures, nor was she the lazy drunk that she seemed to be turning into a few years ago. Now, she was a woman. A strong, confident and self-assured woman. She no longer looked as lost or uncertain as she used to. Her eyes were now clear and she looked like she knew what she wanted. They had noticed a few changes in her ever since the last S-Class exams, such as her cleaning up her act a bit as well as taking her work and training more seriously. She still loved to drink though, except now she did it in moderation, which was why they probably didn't notice how much she's grown up until now. The two old guard looked at each other before smiling slightly, happy to be able to see this moment, not just for Cana but for the rest of the youngsters of the Guild that they had seen grow up. They wondered if this was what Master Makarov felt when he looked at them when they had reached adulthood. Deciding to dwell on it later, they both activated their magic before jumping into the fray.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Erza, Gray and Elfman landed heavily inside the chamber that apparently housed the power source of the [Jupiter] cannon. They made no effort to be discreet whatsoever, it simply wasn't the Fairy Tail way.

As she looked about the room, Erza spotted a giant lacrima, which she assumed was [Jupiter's] power source, along with a tough looking mage who was dressed as a shinobi of old.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail. I commend you for making it this far. Unfortunately for you though, this is where your journey ends for I, Totomaru of the Element Four, shall not let you pass!" Totomaru declared strongly.

Erza raised her sword to remove the obstacle that stood in their way when Gray put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I got this one, Erza. We need you to save your strength for later. There's no need for you to waste your time with these small fries." Gray spoke up as he stepped toward an annoyed looking Totomaru, who didn't take kindly to Gray's remark about him being small fry.

"I'm going to make you regret underestimating me, boy." Totomaru said hatefully as an orb of reddish fire appeared above him palm.

In response, Gray got into his signature stance, with his fist pressed against his open palm as a frosty aura surrounded him. Erza, trusting Gray to take care of Totomaru, quietly led Elfman away as they searched for the other members of the Element Four.

 _ **Gray Vs Totomaru**_

" **Fireball"**

" **Ice-Make: Lance"**

A redish orb of fire and a bluish lance made of ice crashed into each other having being released by Totomaru and Gray respectively. The two attacks seemingly cancelled each other out as Gray's ice sizzled from the heat of Totomaru's fire causing a large amount of steam to obscure the vision of the both of them.

Wasting no time, they both sprang into action, charging forward to the last location that their opponent was in before they could make a move.

"DIE!" Totomaru yelled as he brought his katana down in a slicing motion towards where he perceived Gray was.

Luckily for Gray, his instincts were enough to prevent him from receiving a wound that would no doubt be debilitating. Being on the receiving end of Erza's wrath for much of his childhood, he developed some weird sixth sense when it came to swords that were trying to slice him up.

" **Ice Excalibur"**

He swiftly created a broadsword made of ice and intercepted Totomaru's attack. Both mages weapons struggled for dominance as their wielders glared at each other. Totomaru was the first to break the stalemate.

" **Blue Fire"**

Gray was forced to disengage as he hastily backpedalled to avoid the blue orb of fire. Thea was enough to give Totomaru the opening he was hoping for as he used his impressive speed to get within Gray's guard and delivered a crushing punch to his solar plexus. Gray staggered from the pain of the sudden blow but didn't allow himself to stand on ceremony as he lunged forward and struck Totomaru with a solid head-butt to the face that caused the [Fire Mage] to cry out in pain and clutch his broken nose in an attempt to stem the flow of blood.

Both mages took a few seconds to regain their bearings after their short clash. Gray was sure that he had at least one rib broken from the force of Totomaru's punch, proving that the man wasn't an S-Class Mage for nothing. Totomaru on the other hand was annoyed at himself for allowing Gray, who he perceived as inferior, injure him in such a way.

Gray was the first to catch his second wind as he launched his next attack at his opponent, who was still in a bit of a daze.

" **Ice Make: Arrows"**

A barrage of arrows darted toward Totomaru, who finally snapped out of his pain induced daze and hurriedly jumped into the air to avoid the arrows. That was a mistake on his part, one that Gray was waiting for and wasted no time in capitalizing on.

" **Ice Make: Cannon"**

Gray held a large bazooka on his shoulder and directed it at the giant lacrima in the middle of the room. Totomaru cursed himself for getting so caught up in the fight that he forgot the real objective of his mission. He tried to conjure up his fire to deal with whatever Gray planned on doing, but it was too late. A large cylindrical block of ice was shot out of the bazooka and accelerated powerfully towards the lacrima. The power of the attack along with the velocity of it caused it to punch cleanly through the lacrima. The lacrima sparked for a few seconds before a large explosion engulfed the chamber. Gray had enough wherewithal to put up an ice shield, Totomaru on the other hand didn't have the luxury of a defence and caught the full brunt of the explosion.

As the smoke cleared, Gray dropped his shield and tentatively looked around, anticipating an attack from Totomaru. He was sorely disappointed though when he saw the aforementioned mage passed out, buried underneath some rubble. The [Ice Make] wizard looked on with a deadpan expression.

 **Winner: Gray**

"This is supposed to be an S-Class Mage?" He questioned himself incredulously, unable to believe how weak Totomaru was. Gray was expecting a battle where his life was on the line against a vastly superior mage, but all he got was this joker. It just proved to him that Fairy Tail was on a whole other level than Phantom Lord. Gray was man enough to admit that he was an A-Class mage at best, yet he defeated a member of the vaunted Element Four with relative ease. He could only imagine what Erza would do to them, or god forbid, Natsu. He felt a chill run down his spine as he sent a silent prayer to the poor bastards who got in the way of those two monsters.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

The mages that were on the outside, defending the guild building, cheered loudly when the [Jupiter] cannon exploded. Their cheers didn't last though, as the mobile fortress underwent some kind of crazy transformation sequence before it ended up looking like a giant bi-pedal robot. If that wasn't bad enough, the 'robot' started drawing a large magic circle in the air directed at the Fairy Tail guild, and by extension, Magnolia. Their fear was compounded by Mira, who recognised the magic circle as [Abyss Break], a forbidden spell capable of untold amounts of destruction.

On the inside of the mobile guild, Erza and Elfman split up. Elfman having being intercepted by Sol, another member of the Element Four while Erza encountered Aria, the leader of the Element Four as well as the one responsible for the condition Master Makarov was in. Needless to say, Aria was in for a world of pain.

Meanwhile, we find Natsu taking a casual stroll on top of the Guild, probably around the left shoulder portion of Jose's ridiculous robot. Natsu actually face-palmed when he witnessed the transformation, having come to realise that Jose was probably suffering from a severe case of chuunibyou syndrome. It would make sense given how delusional the man seemed to be. Regardless, he took his time. If this was a few years ago, he would have recklessly stormed into the place and punched anything that moved. He held back a chuckle when he thought about how much fun that sounded. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, Natsu wasn't the same brash kid anymore. He had done a lot of growing up and was therefore more aware and mindful of the consequences of his actions. That didn't mean that he didn't sometimes just 'fuck it' and wreck shit. Those were some of the best moments for him.

Despite seeming like he lost himself in his thoughts, Natsu was fully aware of what was happening below him. He was impressed when he sensed Gray defeat Totomaru of the Conflagration. That was no small feat and it seemed that his old rival had come a long way. He was even more impressed when he sensed Elfman of all people take out Sol, though he did frown a little when he sensed Mira's distressed form for a bit, her being way too close than she should have been. While he initially held a bit of hatred for Elfman due to his role in Lisanna and Happy's deaths, he eventually came to the understanding that Elfman didn't have any malicious intentions and merely made a mistake, a costly mistake that was fuelled by his need to boost his ego as well as his inferiority complex towards his sisters, but a mistake nonetheless. Something that all humans do. It was a bitter pill for Natsu to swallow, but he forced himself to as Lisanna loved her brother very much and Natsu would therefore respect that aspect of her. It took him a long time to get there, but he eventually did. Just because he understood though, doesn't mean he's all buddy-buddy with Elfman. For as much as Natsu matured over the years, it was still hard to fully forgive Elfman for robbing him of the two most important people in his life. Things are relatively frosty between them, mostly on Natsu's part. There was an understanding between them though, no matter how tentative. Elfman would stay the fuck out of Natsu's way and Natsu would keep his opinions to himself and not burn the larger man to a crisp. Mira had tried to broker peace between them on a few occasions, but she was on relatively shaky ground with the [Dragon Slayer] herself and therefore usually crumbled when Natsu gave her a cold glare, deciding that it was up to her two favourite boys to sort their own problems out. Regardless, despite his seeming indifference towards the large man, he was still impressed that he was able to defeat an S-Class mage. More so that he was finally able to conquer his demons and correct one of his greatest flaws, not being able to perform a [Full-Body Takeover]. Natsu didn't think he had it in him so it was a happy surprise.

Without warning, the skies above him darkened as thick grey clouds converged. It didn't take long for the rain to come down afterwards. Natsu stared blankly at the sky, which was clear and blue just a few seconds ago. This was by no means natural. Even if he couldn't sense the magic in the rain, common sense would tell him that such an occurrence was an impossibility. His mind went to work as he figured out the likely culprit, which wasn't hard when you consider what was known about Phantom Lord.

"Drip, drip, drop..." The monotone voice of a woman sounded out behind him. Despite the blank nature of the tone, the voice of the woman was smooth and had a pleasant lilt to it. Natsu turned around to face her and closely examined the woman. The first thing that caught his eyes was the amount of blue on display. From the woman's clothes to even her hair. She wore a long navy blue coat that looked almost like a dress as it reached her knees coupled with a fur shawl over her shoulders with a teru-teru bozu doll hanging off the front of the coat just above her cleavage. Her blue hair was curled tightly at the base, coming to a rest on her shoulders paired with a Russian Cossack hat. She also carried a pink umbrella in her left hand which protected her from the rain. From the few instances of skin that she did show, Natsu could see that it was quite pale, but not in an unhealthy way. All in all, she was an extremely beautiful woman and well-endowed woman, one that was guaranteed to catch the eye of any man. Natsu disregarded all of that though as he stared directly into her dark blue eyes which stared back at him blankly. "Juvia is the rain woman of the Element Four, drip, drip, drop…" The two stared at each other a bit longer, seemingly sizing each other up before Natsu took the initiative, the little manners that he did possessed kicking in.

"Natsu Dragneel, S-Class mage of Fairy Tail." He answered courteously. Although she didn't ask, it was polite to introduce yourself when someone had done the same.

"Juvia knows of you. The **Crimson Chaos,** Natsu Dragneel-sama. Your power and your reputation precedes you. Master Jose told the Element Four to be wary of you." Juvia stated.

"I'm flattered that he thinks so highly of me." Natsu replied with a dry tone of voice, clearly indicating that he didn't give a fuck what Jose thought. "But you guys aren't doing so well. Two of the Element Four are down. Taken out by mages who are A-Class at best. I can't help but be a bit disappointed considering how much you guys were hyped up." He pointed out.

"Juvia never would have thought that two of the Elements would have been defeated. But do not underestimate Juvia and Aria." Juvia replied.

Natsu grinned at the steel he saw in the Juvia's eyes. He could tell that she was powerful, probably around the same level as Erza. Not to mention, she was a [Water] mage, his polar opposite. He could feel his blood boiling in anticipation of a good fight. He saw her body tense in preparation.

" **Water Lock"**

Without much of a warning, he was enveloped by a sphere of water. The speed at which she cast the spell as well as its precision was breath-taking. Natsu actually took a few seconds to admire her ability. The sheer skill and grace she displayed were awe-inspiring. He could see now why this woman had such a reputation. She wasn't one to be trifled with. Any lesser mage would have fell quickly to such an attack, rendering them unconscious from a lack of oxygen. Unfortunately for Juvia, Natsu was anything but.

He allowed his magic to flow freely, his body being covered in an orange aura as the water that surrounded him started sizzling. The natural heat of his aura clashed with the water causing it to evaporate. It took less than a minute until all of the [Water Lock] evaporated, leaving Natsu unharmed.

Juvia, still with her palm raised towards Natsu, looked on without surprise. She never expected her [Water Lock] to be able to hold a mage of his calibre. She was merely testing the waters, so to speak.

Natsu grinned at his opponent before kicking off the ground and moving towards her at a blistering pace. He got within her guard and unleashed a devastating flurry of punches at her. To his surprise though, they phased right through her body, which looked to be made entirely of water, leaving absolutely no damage.

Natsu disengaged and retreated back to his original position. He looked at Juvia and couldn't help but scratch his head in confusion.

"Juvia's body is made entirely of water. Physical attacks are useless against Juvia." Juvia answered him, seeing his unasked question.

"Damn, that's one hax ability you've got there." Natsu whistled appreciatively. Juvia let out a little smirk at his complement, happy to be praised for her skills, even if it was by an enemy. "Wait, does that mean you don't need to bath? Since your body is made up of water...there isn't really anything to wash…unless you have to keep your water clean as well…? Also…how do you use the toilet? Do you like, not have to take a dump since you're all water? Huh, that's pretty confusing ability." He started mumbling to himself, trying to figure out his little conundrum, unaware to the furious blush on Juvia's cheeks at his invasive comments.

"Juvia can turn her body into water at will...Juvia isn't water all the time!" She stuttered out embarrassedly. Natsu hit his palm in realisation.

"Oooh…that makes senses. Still though, that's a pretty amazing ability you have there." He complemented once again, before he gave her a feral grin, one that stirred something within her. "I can tell this is going to be a great fight. Don't hold anything back, Juvia. Let's get fired up!"

Upon seeing the orange fire explode out of Natsu's body along with the challenging grin he had on his face, Juvia couldn't stop the excitement from bubbling within her. She was never one to thirst for battles, like her friend Gajeel, but for some reason she felt her excitement grow at the prospect of fighting the infamous Natsu Dragneel. There was just something about him that drew her into his pace. He had this aura about him, or maybe it was just his natural charisma. She wanted to test her mettle against him. She wanted to let go of her restraints and go to war with this man. In that moment, all thoughts of Lucy Heartfilia, Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail left her mind. The only thought that remained…was to defeat the man before her.

Water started swirling menacingly around her as Juvia's power started rising rapidly, a blue aura surrounding her body. Both combatants stared each other down without flinching. There was a tense silence in the air, apart from the sound of raindrops crashing against the metal surface of the giant robot. A flash of lightning appeared in the sky, serving as the unspoken signal for the start of their fight as Juvia and Natsu charged at each other.

Juvia launched a powerful looking heel kick at Natsu's face which the [Dragon Slayer] dodged by swiftly lowering his body. He continued his motion and transitioned into a sweep kick at Juvia's feet, said [Water Mage] jumped over the attempt before using the momentum of her fall to bring down an axe kick on Natsu's head. He spotted the danger though and quickly backtracked, just enough to see the heel of Juvia's foot leave a large dent in the steel contraption they were standing on.

Natsu whistled quietly to himself at seeing the amazing feat of strength from Juvia. He was seriously impressed by her. It was obvious to see that this woman was no joke. He had to get serious as he couldn't afford to underestimate her. Juvia was wasting no time though as she pressed her attack on.

" **Water Cane"**

A thick whip of water came careening at Natsu who rolled to the side to avoid it. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see the large whip shaped dent on the surface from the power of the attack. He made a mental note to never get hit with one of those. Not one to be kept on the back foot, Natsu unleashed an attack of his own.

" **Prominence Typhoon"**

A large vortex of fuchsia coloured fire flew towards Juvia, who wrapped a tendril of water around her waist that she anchored to the ground and used it to launch herself into the air, completely avoiding the large attack.

" **Water Slicer"**

Two sharpened tendrils of water cut through the air as they sped towards Natsu, who used his superior reflexes to manoeuvre his body in such a way that he dodged them at a hairs breadth. Lucky for him though, as the attack sliced through two of the steel towers behind him like a hot knife through butter.

Back and forth the two of them went, trading magical attacks for quite a while. It was clear to see though, that for all her amazing prowess, Juvia just didn't have the magical capacity to be constantly spamming large magical attacks like Natsu could. Though, to be fair, Natsu was a complete freak of nature in that regard. There were very few people who could hang with him when it came to pure power and stamina. He could see that Juvia had quite a bit of power in her, being at least above the average S-Class wizard, probably on par with Erza in that regard. But she didn't have the kind of fighting experience and situational awareness as the aforementioned sword mage or Natsu himself. It was obvious to see that most of her fights were against small fry that didn't fully challenge her to go all out thereby hampering her ability to grow as a mage. Natsu had no doubt that with a more stringent training regimen, and more exposure to high-class opponents, Juvia would end up being a true force of nature.

The very thought of such a possibility made his blood boil in anticipation. It didn't help that there was something strangely endearing about the rain woman that seemed to call out to him. He didn't know why but his instincts were telling him that Juvia could be someone important to him someday. As that thought permeated through his mind, Natsu ruthlessly crushed it. He made a promise to himself a long time ago that he would never allow anyone to get close to him again. He couldn't have a repeat of what happened two years ago. As such, he made sure to keep everyone at arm's length and limit his interactions with others to the bare minimum. As such, whatever direction his gut was leading him towards was summarily ignored. While he admitted to himself that Juvia could prove to be a pleasant companion, not to mention that she was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Even he could admit as such when he looked at her. But he wouldn't take that risk. Call him a coward if you will, but Natsu honestly stopped caring a long time ago. Cutting himself off from others for so long allowed him to cultivate his veneer of absolute indifference which heled tremendously in times like these.

Deciding that he couldn't draw this out any longer, even though he was really enjoying fighting Juvia, Natsu decided to bring out the big guns. He took a deep exhale. Juvia, recognising what was about to happen from having witnessed it numerous times from Gajeel, erected a dome of water around herself to protect her from the oncoming onslaught.

" **Fire Dragons Roar"**

The signature attack of all [Dragon Slayers] was unleashed. The blistering hot stream of flames raced through the sky before colliding with Juvia's dome of water. Steam filled the air as Juvia tried her best to pump more power into her spell in the hopes of stopping Natsu's powerful roar. Unfortunately, she could not hold on for long as she was overpowered. She hastily solidified the water beneath her feet, using it as a platform to jump out of the way of the attack. While a good idea on paper as she succeeded in avoiding the full brunt of the **Roar** , it didn't quite work out the way she had hoped as it left her wide open to the real danger, that being Natsu himself. She barely had time to curse herself for such an amateur mistake before feeling the overwhelming heat of Natsu's [Fire Dragon Slayer] magic.

" **Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus – Fire Dragons Fist"**

Numerous fists of fire were mercilessly unleashed upon Juvia's unguarded body. Normally, her natural defence would make her intangible which would render any damage from physical attacks moot. However, the sheer heat and power of Natsu's flames were too much for her to handle, even with her water body, as they started to severely burn her. Juvia let out a scream of anguish, showing just how much pain she was in from being up close and personal with the flames that were meant to kill dragons.

Luckily for her, Natsu felt merciful today as he released the attack early. He would never say it out loud but he had taken a liking strange woman in the short time that he knew her. She was pretty quirky, which is nothing new to him having spent so much time around other Fairy Tail mages. But she had a good heart, Natsu could tell. They were kindred souls in a way. He may have been imagining it but he felt as though she may have understood the feeling of loneliness as well as the feeling of not belonging anywhere. It was a wild conjecture but Natsu trusted his instincts implicitly. That wasn't to say that he was going to go out of his way to bond with her. No, no…those days are long behind him. He was a pretty cold-hearted bastard now, at least that's what he liked to tell himself, and he had no intention of playing nice with anybody. Those were his thoughts as he walked away from Juvia, who was lying flat on her back, most of her clothing having been burnt away as well as her skin being bright red from the heat she was forced to endure.

"Why?" She managed to croak out as she heard Natsu's footsteps moving away from her.

"Hmm?" Natsu, having heard her hoarse voice, stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.

"Why did you spare Juvia?" The Rain Woman asked, with a few tears flowing down her face. Natsu could tell, despite the heavy rain, that she was crying. It definitely wasn't because he beat her…she wasn't that kind of woman. Natsu could only assume that this was about something else. "Juvia heard that you were merciless against your enemies, leaving most of them crippled. Juvia expected herself to meet the same fate. So why did you spare Juvia? Is it because of pity? Is Juvia not worthy of being seen as a threat by you?" She cried out in frustration.

Natsu didn't respond immediately, taking his time to formulate a response. It was at times like this that he remembered how troublesome woman could be. It was the same with Lisanna. She would get mad at him for things he did, or sometimes didn't do, without any explanation whatsoever. Natsu had no clue how to deal with these situations. He was raised by a fucking dragon for goodness sake. There weren't any lessons on social etiquette. It wouldn't have mattered though as no amount of preparation or knowledge would be enough for him to be able to understand the opposite sex. He gave up trying to understand them a long time ago, having come to realise that it's better to just go with the flow. He let out a tired sigh before responding.

"I'm not sure why you seem to be so quick to want to throw your life away but please don't expect me to help you in your attempts at assisted suicide. If you want to die, then do it yourself." He stated bluntly. It was pretty insensitive thing to say, but then again sensitivity wasn't something Natsu was known for. Juvia smiled slightly at his straightforward words, but it was a lifeless smile accompanied by hollow eyes. "As for why I spared you. It wasn't pity, that was the furthest thing on my mind. It was respect." He informed her. Juvia widened her eyes in surprise at hearing that. "I enjoyed our fight, and I can tell that you have a lot of power within you. But for some reason, it's being hampered. That's understandable though, as we all have our demons to deal with. I can tell from your eyes that you understand the pain of loneliness, the feeling of not belonging and the desire to be accepted. It's okay to feel that way…I did too not too long ago. But let me give you a small piece of advice. There isn't a need for you to try to change yourself to conform to the standards of others. Don't be afraid to be who you want to be, who you were meant to be. Others may shy away from you and you may experience greater loneliness…but you will eventually find that one person who accepts you for who you are. At the end of the day…that's all that matters. Besides, underneath all those layers…I'm sure there a wonderful person waiting to emerge."

Juvia felt even more tears run down her face, only this time, they weren't tears of anguish…they were tears of happiness. His words felt like being bundled in a warm fluffy blanket on a cold winters day. They struck deeply into her soul and unravelled all that which she buried in an attempt to appear more normal. She was desperate for friendship. She yearned to be accepted. To be comforted. The find someone that she could laugh with, cry with and someone who would fully embrace her for who she is, quirks and all. Gajeel was a good person and a good friend, but he wasn't someone that would fully understand her deepest desires. Which is why she was left so vulnerable at Natsu's words. He seemed to have stripped away her armour with nary a glance and laid all her demons to bear. Juvia felt compelled to tell her story. Even if he wasn't interested, even if he may walk away from her…she decided to take the chance.

She started slowly, speaking of her lonely childhood due to her ability to unintentionally call the rain. She spoke of being bullied and ostracized by the other children as well as the adults. Having no parents or guardian meant that she was forced to sleep on the streets as the matron at the orphanage kicked her out when her powers started emerging. She told Natsu of her relationship with Bora and how he used her to further himself. Throughout her speech, bitter tears ran down her face as he recalled the pain and humiliation she was forced to endure, merely for existing.

"There were times Juvia thought of ending it all…" She said with a hollow voice, her eyes blankly staring at the sky. "But Juvia was too much of a coward. Juvia always held on to the hope that maybe, just maybe, things would get better. That Juvia could finally find a place to belong. But that never happened. And here Juvia is, lying defeated with nothing left to live for anymore. It would have been a form of mercy to end my miserable existence, instead of prolonging my torture." She said before letting out a rueful chuckle. "You really are a cruel man, Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu never showed a hint of emotion throughout her monologue, showing that he was unmoved. Well…on the outside at least. But her words affected him, as much as he wanted to deny it. He hated it. He hated the feelings that her speech brought out in him. He promised himself never to feel anything for anyone ever again. He swore that he would stop caring about others and keep to himself. But it was at times like these that he learnt a harsh truth. No matter how much one may try…it's almost impossible to escape who you really are. No matter how much he may say he doesn't care, there will always be a small part of him that does. No matter how cold he tries to be…his warmth will always reach out to others. He let out a bitter smile at that thought. As much as he wanted to walk away from Juvia right now, he knew his conscience would never rest if he didn't set her right. He was man enough to admit that he developed a little soft spot for the rain woman in the short time that he's known her. Besides, she seemed to be a much better person than he was so she deserved a little comfort, even if it was from an asshole like him. With a sigh, he looked at her over his shoulder.

"It wasn't cowardly, Juvia, in fact it was the opposite. Death is the easy way out. It's nice to think that ending it all will allow you to attain some form of happiness on the other side. It's a delusion that we all come to expect. I think it's much harder to live, facing the struggles of everyday life and never giving in to the sweet temptation of death." He said. His voice held wisdom and a sense of longing, that made Juvia think that he was perhaps speaking from experience, that he too once contemplated ending it all. "I'm not sure why I'm doing this as I normally couldn't care less, but…you shouldn't give in, Juvia Lockser. You have an inner strength that is rare in this day and age and I think, no, I know, that with the right stimulus, you will be somebody great. So don't give in, don't give up. Keep fighting for what you desire and I guarantee that you will find that one person who will accept you for who you are, and that place that you belong. I look forward to the day that you are freed from those shackles for I can tell that that Juvia will be one hell of an amazing woman." Natsu said with a grin on his face as he looks at her over his shoulder. "I look forward to having a rematch with that Juvia." He finishes as he walks away while casually waving his arm.

Juvia couldn't describe that unassailable feelings of joy that blossomed in her chest at his words. She felt so much acceptance in his smile. While she has been duped many times in the past by people who wanted to exploit her, Master Jose being one of them, she could tell without a shadow of a doubt that Natsu was being sincere. The fact that they exchanged blows in battle only further solidified this. They say that you can come to understand someone better by exchanging blows with them and Juvia felt that she caught a sneak peek into the motivations of the infamous **Crimson Chaos**. As her mind cleared and her insecurities were washed away by his parting words, Juvia felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She truly felt like a new person, as Natsu's words struck closer to home that he possibly intended. The sky above parted majestically as the rays of the sun broke through the grey clouds. For the first time in her life, Juvia stared at the gorgeous blue sky above, clear of any clouds. It was a wonderful expanse of azure all around and Juvia's heart soared in happiness at finally witnessing something that she has always desired. She gave off the most beautiful smile as she basked in the warmth of the sunlight, her eyes closed as she pictured the handsome [Dragon Slayer] that opened up her world.

"Truly, what a cruel man you are, Natsu Dragneel." She whispered happily with a newfound sense of purpose blossoming in her chest.

 _ **(Scene Change)**_

Natsu leisurely walked through the halls of the quickly crumbling mobile guild, discreetly scanning his surroundings as he went. He was still thinking about his fight with Juvia. The buxom [Water Mage] really made an impression on him. He hoped that she would take heart from their fight and use it to grow further as he looked forward to doing battle with her again.

The sounds of fighting weren't as loud as a when he first entered, with Gray, Elfman and Erza having taken care of most of the small fry. He could sense that Gray, Elfman and surprisingly, Mirajane heading towards Erza who had just finished completely crushing Aria, the leader of the **Element Four**. He knew Jose would probably intercept Erza, perceiving her to be a larger threat than Natsu as well as having confidence that his ace, Gajeel, would be enough to take Natsu out.

He wasn't sure whether to feel insulted about that or not. Considering that Jose put Erza above him in his pecking order, Natsu decided that Jose was obviously severely retarded. He made a note to smack the guy around a bit if he had the time, but for now he was of no consequence as Natsu had a reunion to attend to. A reunion he was sure that only he would be aware of.

Over the years, Gajeel gave no indication of remembering their time together as children. Especially considering the emotional pain that he has joyfully been inflicting upon Anna's descendent, Lucy, for these last few days. That alone made Natsu sure that Gajeel didn't remember as he would never do something like that. He may have been an unpleasant bastard, but he was never the type to gleefully harm the innocent.

Natsu decided that his old pal needed a serious reality check, which Natsu was happy to provide in the form of a brutal ass-kicking. Not just because Gajeel has been messing with his guild, but also for hurting Lucy. It was no secret among the young [Dragon Slayers] during their time together that Natsu was majorly crushing on Anna, much to his consternation as that bastard Igneel teased him about it to no end. Thankfully, Anna, being the refined and elegant woman that she was, took it in her stride and thought it was adorable of him. It was pretty much accepted by the other 4 that he was her favourite, considering how much she doted upon him. Which was why Gajeel was in for a serious beat down.

He didn't know Lucy personally, but she was a part of Fairy Tail which, was much as he loathed to admit it, was his home. Add on that she was the splitting image of Anna, not only in looks but in kindness as well, although she had none of the sophisticated elegance that Anna exuded which was weird considering that she came from a wealthy family. That was more than enough for Natsu to involve himself in this little affair. He normally wouldn't have bothered much, as he was sure that Makarov would be able to deal with Jose and his hissy fits. But the old man went and got himself taken out by a weakling like Aria. It was majorly embarrassing and Natsu planned to hold it over the old midget for a long time.

He came to a stop in front of a large iron door. He was about to open it when he heard a piercing scream. It was filled with pain and despair and Natsu easily recognised it as Lucy's voice. His blood started boiling in rage at the picture that was being painted in his mind. He was already angry with Gajeel for tormenting Lucy from afar, but now that he was physically harming her, Natsu was fucking furious.

She was supposed to be kept safely at the Guild being protected by its members but Natsu remembered that he had put his trust in a bunch of lazy bastards who spent most of their time getting drunk all day. He chastised himself for that and made a note to never do something that dumb again.

Veins started appearing on Natsu's forehead as an orange aura surrounded him. His magic started rapidly rising and his face was a mask of fury. He was planning on playing around a bit and taunting Gajeel, knowing that that guy had a huge amount of pride and an even shorter fuse than he did. Now though, all bets were off.

With a mighty swing of his fist, the iron door flew off its hinges and into the far wall of the room from the power behind Natsu's punch.

Gajeel didn't flinch as the heavy door flew past him at high velocity and crashed into the wall behind him. He still stood there with his arms crossed and a sickening smirk on his face. Lucy was chained up to the wall on his right, clearly having been worked over from the amount of blood that was pooled around her feet as well as the numerous cuts and bruises marring her once beautifully pristine skin. She was clearly unconscious though, the last attack on her person probably too much for her mind to handle. There was a slight pulse before the air became heavy and clearly palpable with power.

The cold look in Natsu's eyes coupled with the intense killing intent that he was releasing had the few Phantom Lord grunts quivering in fear. Gajeel still had that insufferable smirk on his face, but if you looked close enough you would see the slight strain on his face coupled with the nervous bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face.

It was far too late for any regrets at this point and Gajeel was never one to have many. He was as straightforward as Natsu in his way of life and he would face whatever came at him head on. He would admit that the display of power from his self-proclaimed rival was a bit unnerving. He had assumed that they were at similar levels of power, considering that they were both somewhat aces of their respective guilds. But he clearly didn't expect his power to feel this intense. Gajeel refused to back down though, it just wasn't his style.

"Gihihi…I've been expecting you **Crimson Chaos**. I could smell you coming!" Gajeel exclaimed before leaning forward to stare at Natsu. "Huh? What's the matter? Are you mad that I messed up the blonde bimbo?" Gajeel taunted with a leer in Lucy's direction. Natsu's eyes narrowed further, pleasing Gajeel who took it as a personal victory that he was able to affect Natsu with his words.

"I was planning on playing around with you a bit, but you've gone and seriously pissed me off Gajeel." Natsu replied, causing an ugly scowl to come upon Gajeel's face.

"Don't speak as if you're better than me fairy trash!" He roared in response. "I'm tired of hearing about your damn exploits and us being compared to each other. This fight was inevitable. There can be room for only one dragon in these skies, and it's about time we figure out once and for all who's the rightful ruler of these skies!" After his proclamation, he too started releasing his not so inconsiderable power.

Natsu would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. Gajeel certainly had power in spades and had no doubt earned his status as the ace of Phantom Lord. He was certainly more powerful than Juvia, and definitely above Erza and Mira, if she were still an active mage.

Along with the large amount of rage that Natsu was feeling, which contributed nicely to amplifying his power as most negative emotions tended to do, Natsu's thirst for battle was also coming to the fore as this fight promised to be one more intense and ferocious than the one he just had with Juvia. While he tried to come off as cool and indifferent in most cases, Natsu was very much the same battle-freak he's always been. That was something he doubted would ever change and it was something that he wouldn't change about himself. He absolutely loved the thrill of battle and testing his prowess against powerful opponents. It was one of the few releases he had in his life and he was going to make sure he savoured the battle that was to come. Not to say that he was going to unnecessarily draw it out as Gajeel had more than earned a thorough beating for his actions. Once Natsu was done kicking the shit out of the metal-head, he would be sure to have a nice little chat with him and his behaviour.

"'Ruling the skies'. Pfft, what kind of melodramatic bullshit is that? Sounds to me like someone was reading far too many fantasy novels for their own good. Next thing you know you're going to end up giving a monologue about you being the strongest [Dragon Slayer] around." Natsu snorted in contempt at Gajeel's posturing. Said [Iron Dragon Slayer] clearly didn't take to kindly to those words if the menacing scowl on his face was anything to go by. Seeing this, Natsu couldn't stop the almost imperceptive smirk that bloomed on his face at the chance to mess with his old friend/rival. "Ha! As always, you've got that vulgar look in your eye."

Gajeel's eyes widened in shock and his body stiffened upon hearing those words. Those very familiar and bittersweet words. He saw flashes of a giant silver dragon in his mind. His brain was working a mile a minute trying to figure out what was happening and why Natsu knew those words. But he didn't get long to consider it, a second or two at best before Natsu exploded from his position and delivered a meaty looking left hook at Gajeel's face, causing it to ripple grotesquely around Natsu's fist before his body was sent flying into the back wall. Natsu didn't give him time to get his wits about him though as he pressed on his attack with an axe kick aimed at his head.

Gajeel though, snapped out of his funk, deciding to put whatever questions he had to the back of his mind and focus solely on this fight. The transformed his right forearm into an iron club and held it up to block Natsu's kick. Gajeel had to admit that he was impressed, he could feel the power behind the kick as his iron club started to creak from the pressure being exerted upon it. He wasted no time in forcing Natsu to disengage though as he swung his arm, forcing Natsu to backflip out of the way, however Gajeel took the split second opening that he was provided and launched his attack as Natsu was mid-flip.

" **Iron Dragons Club"**

His forearm extended as it raced towards Natsu at high velocity, smashing into the [Fire Mage], who had no choice but to put his forearms up in defence as he couldn't dodge fast enough. He was launched backwards and into a wall from the brute power of Gajeel's attack. He didn't waste any time dwelling on it though and immediately kicked off the wall and met the charging Gajeel in the centre of the room, sparks flying from their fists clashing against one and other.

Both disengaged and jumped back before flowing into another attack. Gajeel going in with a full body charge with his entire weight behind it, which was quite a bit a Gajeel was a big dude. Natsu though, never one to back down met him head on once again, both clashing heads as they tried to over-power the other. Both gritted their teeth in both anger, further fuelling their desire to win.

Gajeel was the first to break the stalemate as he swung his arm up towards Natsu.

" **Iron Dragons Sword"**

His forearm transformed once again into a wicked looking sword that would no doubt cut Natsu in half if it connected. Natsu, sensing the immense amount of danger his was in, immediately disengage and lean back as quickly as possible. The tip of the sword just barely scraping the tip of his nose on its ascent. Once the danger of being bisected had passed, he quickly backtracked, which was wise because Gajeel turned his sword to the side and swiped horizontally this time. Luckily, Natsu had already anticipated such an attack and moved as well as setting himself up for his own offensive.

" **Fire Dragons Wing Attack"**

Two thick whips of orange fire lashed out at Gajeel, scorching his forearms as he turned them into iron, along with the rest of his body, and held them up to protect himself. Normally, Natsu liked to use his regular [Fire Magic] and eventually build up to his [Dragon Slayer] magic if it was ever needed. But this fight was not only one for the Guild and for Natsu's loyalty to Anna, but also a fight of pride between the two premier [Dragon Slayers] in the world. It was for this reason that Natsu consciously chose not to use any of his other magic, his [Purgatory Flames] included. He was sure he would have a much easier time if he used his entire arsenal, but his pride wouldn't allow him to.

Nevertheless, it was quite impressive to Natsu when he saw that Gajeel was largely unaffected by his attack which was a bit of a surprise as he had seen this same attack carve off limbs as though they were paper. While there were scorch marks on Gajeel's arms, the immense defence provided by not only his element but also his natural constitution was remarkable. Natsu knew beforehand that this fight would in no way be easy, he was glad to see that Gajeel wasn't all talk. The guy was an absolute juggernaut which was further proven when he barely paid attention to his burns and instead attacked. Swinging both arms, which were once again turned into clubs, at Natsu who jumped back before landing with both feet planted firmly on the wall before using it to kick off and direct a full charge at Gajeel.

" **Fire Dragons Battering Ram"**

Natsu's entire body was engulfed in flames as he looked to deliver a full charged head-butt to Gajeel's sternum. Gajeel though, was smart enough to see through it and ducked low with his back on the ground before launching both clubs at Natsu's unprotected underbelly as he passed over him. The power behind it had Natsu coughing up a little saliva as he was thrown into the ceiling of the room, breaking through it and landing harshly on the roof. Gajeel wasn't far behind as he followed, showing his inhuman strength as he jumped through the Natsu shaped hole and landing safely on the roof.

Natsu wiped away the trail of blood from the corner of his mouth as he gave Gajeel a vicious smirk of approval. Gajeel answered him with a smirk of his own as a dark green aura surrounded him, answering Natsu's own crimson aura as both men released their power.

Down below, the mages of Fairy Tail almost stopped what they were doing when they felt the oppressive amount of power being released from the top of the Phantom Lord guild. They could see the towering crimson and dark green aura's that reached into the sky and gave a silent good luck to their resident [Dragon Slayer], knowing that things were about to heat up.

Inside the Guild we can find Erza and Jose clashing in a rather one sided fight. They were both rather annoyed at this point. Being the high level mages they were, they could both feel the monstrous amount of power being released by both Natsu and Gajeel. Erza was annoyed as she was once again made aware of the enormous gulf in power between herself and Natsu, and she didn't like it one bit. Jose, while not too intimidated by the amount of power, with him being a **Wizard Saint** and all, was more annoyed at the fact that his ace managed to hide this much power from him. He seemed to have severely underestimated Gajeel's power. Jose made it so that while he recruited powerful mages for his guild, he ensured that they weren't anywhere near his level so that they weren't a threat to his position. However, from what he could feel of Gajeel's power, he was sure that in a few years, the [Iron Dragon Slayer] would no doubt surpass him. That didn't sit well with Jose at all and he made a note to properly punish his pet [Dragon Slayer] once this was over.

The air was tense and the silence was deafening as the two juggernauts stared each other down. They were taking each other's measure and trying to find any gaps to exploit.

"Heh…you're stronger than I gave you credit for, **Crimson Chaos**." Gajeel stated with a smirk on his face. He could feel his blood excitedly singing the longer this clash went on. This was what he lived for. He was never one for aesthetics in the way he lived his life. Having spent most of his time on the streets after being abandoned by Metalicana, he learned the importance of survival. He didn't care if he had to crawl through the dirt to do it, he would win. That was what his instincts told him and that was what he was all about.

"You aren't too shabby yourself, **Black Steel**." Natsu replied with an answering smirk. Natsu felt a lot of his anger cool the longer this fight went on. While he was still pissed at Gajeel's treatment of Lucy, he couldn't deny that he was enjoying himself. He knew that Gajeel was one of the few people in the world who could take him to the limit. While he still had plenty of ways to overcome the guy, in terms of pure [Dragon Slayer] ability, it wouldn't be remiss to call Gajeel his equal. However, Natsu still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve and was ready to show why pure power wouldn't be enough to overcome him. Similar to Juvia, Gajeel was still not ready to step onto Natsu's level in terms of experience. Phantom Lord was holding him back and the longer this fight went on the more Gajeel would see that.

As a fierce wind blew past them, a stray piece of rubble from one of the destroyed towers fell to the ground with a loud plonk. That was the unofficial start as both men kicked off the ground, Gajeel with both arms turned into iron clubs and Natsu with both fist covered in a condensed layer of fire.

Punch. Swipe. Dodge.

It was a fierce brawl that both men put their all into. Both enjoying the thrill of the battle with wide smiles on their faces. Their guild matters were put on the back burner as both fought solely for their own pride and thirst for battle. Their dragon instincts were screaming for more s both sought to prove their dominance.

" **Fire Dragons Scales"**

" **Iron Dragons Spears"**

Two magic circles appeared before both men, matching the colour of their aura's. Crescents of orange fire started rapidly firing from Natsu's magic circle while sharp spears shot out of Gajeel's. Both attacks continued for about a minute, effectively cancelling each other out. Both men were content with that though, using the time to catch their breath before the next exchange.

As soon as both attacks died down, they launched themselves at each other again.

" **Fire Dragons Demolition Fist"**

" **Iron Dragons Hard Fist"**

Both of their fists collided, sending a massive shockwave to ripple out from the epicentre.

Natsu was the first to make a move as he lessened the pressure of his punch, causing Gajeel's to stumble forward from the force of his own punch before Natsu lashed at him with a flaming kick.

" **Fire Dragons Tail Whip"**

Gajeel, seeing that he couldn't dodge, took advantage of his elements most prevailing trait, defence.

" **Iron Dragons Aegis** "

A large circular shield appeared on his forearm with the head of a dragon that was similar to the design of his personal magic circle, blocking Natsu's kick, though the strain of Gajeel's arm was noticeable but he held on before pushing forward and using the shield as a battering ram to smash into Natsu who used the momentum of the charge to launch himself backward to put some distance between them.

As Natsu crouched upon landing, he immediately shot back up before taking a huge breath. Gajeel's eye's widened upon seeing what he was doing, knowing what was about to come next. He too inhaled deeply to prepare his counter.

" **Fire Dragon's Roar"**

" **Iron Dragon's Roar"**

A large maelstrom of fire and a vortex of sharp winds and iron fragments tore the ground up as they flew toward each other, meeting in a titanic explosion that rocked the entire mobile guild, kicking up a large dust cloud.

Natsu was the one to take advantage of it though, having expected such an outcome. He was already on the move as soon as his attack finished and closed the distance between the two before Gajeel had a chance to react.

" **Fire Dragons Demolition Fist"**

He roared as he caught Gajeel in the chest with a bone crunching punch that launched him into the air. Natsu wasn't through though as he followed up while Gajeel was still pondering what hit him.

" **Fire Dragons Crushing Fang"**

A devastating axe kick connected with the airborne Gajeel as he crashed violently into the ground, gasping painfully.

Natsu used the momentum from the axe kick to propel himself further into the air, just above Gajeel where he started gathering his fire into the shape of a sphere. While it started out as a large, barely stable sphere, Natsu compressed the fire at a rapid rate until it was about the size of a tennis ball. It looked a lot more stable as well as dangerous considering the way it was pulsating with power.

" **Fire Dragons Pulse Bomb"**

He threw the sphere at Gajeel, who barely had any time to move. The sphere crashed down and unleashed an enormous fire storm that tore through the spot it landed, continuously pulsing outwards from its epicentre as it expanded. The results were devastating as all eyes were drawn to the colossal sphere of fire.

Natsu landed on the ground with nary a sound, keeping a watchful eye on the spot that Gajeel once occupied. He refused to believe that the guy was taken out by that last attack and was proven right as a large vortex of metal shards came racing at him.

" **Fire Dragons Whirling Embrace"**

A dome of fire sprung up around him that was constantly rotating, arresting the momentum of Gajeel's roar and dispersing it.

As Natsu's dome dropped, he caught sight of Gajeel's condition. While there were quite a few bruises and a hell of a lot more burns, he seemed okay for the most part. His clothes were singed though and he was breathing quite heavily. Natsu caught sight of the large shields on both forearms.

' _So that's how he minimised the damage from my_ _ **Pulse Bomb**_ _. I believe he called it_ _ **Aegis**_ _. Not a bad move to have up his sleeve.'_. Natsu thought, impressed at Gajeel's sturdy defence.

Gajeel on the other hand, didn't have the luxury of analysing his opponents move as he heaved in an attempt to catch his breath. The air was dry from the intense heat and he was finding it difficult to maintain his regular breathing pattern. Add to that, his arms were still trembling from the scorching heat of Natsu's attack. Gajeel was considered a proud man and he would never admit defeat until the very end. However, even he could tell that things weren't looking too good for him. He thought that they were pretty much even in terms of power, but the small glimpse that Natsu gave him with that last attack proved that the [Fire Dragon Slayer] was far ahead of him in that respect. But that wasn't the main issue as even the most powerful could be defeated with the right tactics. No, the problem was Natsu's inhuman stamina and endurance. Gajeel, as one of the premier [Dragon Slayers] in the world had an inhuman constitution that allowed him to perform feats that ordinary humans, both magical and non-magical, couldn't even come close to matching. Therefore, he never had a problem with issues such as fatigue in battle…until now that is.

He just knew that if this went on any longer, he would lose by default as he would no doubt collapse from exhaustion, of his stamina and magic. Although his pride would never allow him to admit it out loud, he had formed a grudging respect for his fellow [Dragon Slayer]. He could tell from the look in Natsu's eyes that he had formed a similar opinion about him as well.

It was strange for Gajeel. Despite his blunt, tactless personality, he never expected to feel this way in the face of imminent defeat. He fought, scratched and clawed for everything in his life. He trained himself to the point of exhaustion to be the very best that he could be. To prove to himself that he was worth something. That he wasn't a reject. That he wasn't a failure. To show Metalicana that he had been wrong to abandon him, not that he would ever admit that part out loud. He put up a tough front all the time, but Gajeel was hurt deeply by his dragon parent's abandonment. He felt lost and betrayed. Those feelings quickly turned to anger and hatred which drove him to the torturous training sessions he put himself through. He had something to prove.

But again, strangely enough, as he stared at Natsu, who looked slightly better off, Gajeel felt an odd sense of contentment wash over him. He didn't particularly like the **Crimson Chaos** , but there was an odd camaraderie between them. He could tell just from looking that Natsu had gone through similar ordeals and used them to drive himself forward. Gajeel couldn't help but wonder though, why it was that Natsu was able to surpass him when, by all intents and purposes, there shouldn't have been that big of a gap between them.

As he gazed into the resolute eyes of his opponent, he felt an odd sense of enlightenment. Those eyes were filled with resolve and determination. But more importantly to Gajeel…they were filled with purpose. Something that Gajeel has sorely lacked in his life. All he lived for was fighting and proving his strength. He was strangely curious as to what happened to motivate his fellow [Dragon Slayer] to reach the levels that he did. A fleeting smile crossed his face as he wondered if would ever be able to ask.

He put that out of his mind though as he knew that the battle was at its climax. He couldn't go on much longer and he knew his opponent realised that as well. Gajeel decided to put his all into this next attack. It was do or die for him at this point and he refused to throw in the towel.

Both men locked eyes, the intensity in their gazes palpable. They knew that the finish line was in sight.

"Heh, you are one tough son of bitch **Black Steel**." Natsu commented with a grin on his face, one that was answered by Gajeel.

"You ain't too bad yourself **Crimson Chaos**." Gajeel shot back.

The pure fighting spirit being exhibited by both men could be felt thrumming in the air as they both prepared to finish this fight.

…

….

…

"" **Dragon Slayer Secret Art!""**

Natsu spread his arms to the side, vicious flames gathering in his hands.

Gajeel on the other hand, reared back with his arm in the air, magic gathering at the point forming a long, sharp construct.

An enormous spear of iron was conjured above Gajeel's head. It was at least 5 meters long and quite thick as well. There were little spikes protruding off the body of the spear with a wickedly sharp tip at its head that spoke of easily goring through flesh if necessary. The scariest part though, was that the entire spear started to rapidly rotate, giving off a high pitched screeching noise. Gajeel panted heavily from the strain it took to bring out this attack. He normally kept it in his back pocket, but something about Natsu made him want to go all out and lay all his cards on the table. If he was going down, he was sure as hell going down with a fight.

Natsu on the other hand, had his entire body covered in volatile flames that looked eager to be unleashed. He grinned at the sight of Gajeel's attack. He had to admit, it was a beautiful and awe-inspiring sight. It looked much cooler than any of his attacks. But that wouldn't deter Natsu, he would hold nothing back.

Natsu swiped his arms in a circular motion, unlashing the deadly and explosive flames that took the shape of a roaring Phoenix.

Natsu's powerful flaming Phoenix collided with the brutal spear that Gajeel hurled forward with all his might.

" **Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"**

" **Karma Demon: Spiralling Spear!"**

Both attacks met in a vicious collision, causing the entire Guild to tremble at the combined might of the attacks. Debris went flying from the epicentre as both attacks battled for dominance.

Large beads of sweat started rolling down the face of Gajeel as he strained his core to the max, pushing every last drop of magic that he had into the attack.

Natsu grunted as he expended quite a bit of effort to hold his ground. Although he was quite a bit more powerful than Gajeel, he had to admit that the larger man held nothing back and was dead set on pushing him to his limit. Further than he's ever been pushed before.

They both knew the inevitable outcome of this struggle, but neither would back down or hold anything back out of pure determination, some might say stubbornness, and respect for the other.

It only took a few seconds, though it felt like a lifetime to both men, before Natsu's attack overpowered Gajeel's, destroying his spear and colliding with his unprotected body head on. There were a series of explosions as Natsu's attack detonated causing Gajeel to cry out in agony. The large conflagration drew the eyes of the spectators who knew without a shadow of a doubt that the fight was over.

Once the smoke cleared, Gajeel could be seen lying flat on his back, his skin marred with burns and his clothes heavily singed. He looked half dead for all intents and purposes, only the steady rise and fall of his chest indicating that he was still alive.

Natsu, upon seeing his condition and therefore confirming his victory, allowed his body to ungracefully hit the ground, he too lying on his back. His breathing was laboured as he tried to regain his bearing. His head was ringing from the enormous amount of magic expended as well as the physical effort that he was forced to expend. He hasn't had to put this much effort into a fight since the one he had with Erza during his S-Class promotion trial. He's gotten a lot more powerful since then and therefore has hardly come across any worthy opponents. His fight with Juvia counted as one and she would definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Gajeel on the other hand, with respect to Juvia and Erza, was on a whole other level. He certainly earned his reputation as the ace of Phantom Lorde and he has more than eared Natsu's respect as a fellow warrior. More importantly, under that gruff and sadistic exterior, Natsu was able to see that his old friend hadn't really changed that much. Sure, the fact that they were both abandoned by their dragon parents no doubt took its toll on him, as it did to Natsu, and he was a lot more confrontational than before…but Gajeel was still Gajeel and that was enough to put Natsu's mind at ease.

He allowed a small smile on his face as he stared into the azure expanse above him, taking in the beauty of the clear sky. Things weren't as bleak as they were a few years ago. While the wounds still felt fresh, he would admit that he was coping a lot better. He knew that it would take a bit more time and a lot more effort, but he was hoping that he could one day make something of himself. As it stands, he was simply focused on increasing his power. In the short term, that wasn't a bad thing. But power for the sake of power was a worthless ambition, just one look at Laxus was enough to see that.

Natsu wanted something different. He just wasn't sure what. He wanted to do something that would make a difference. He wanted something that would make Lisanna and Happy proud when he saw them again in the afterlife. While he was content to wallow in self-pity these last few years he knew that he couldn't keep it up. He was a powerful being and he felt that he was meant for greater things, regardless of how conceited that may seem.

He would take his time though, for there was no hurry. He would continue his journey, learning new and interesting things along the way. Eventually, something would find him for that is generally how these things go. For now, he would just enjoy the ride.

An image of a smiling Juvia crossed his mind, along with the slyly winking face of Cana. He then looked at the slightly charred body of Gajeel out of the corner of his eyes.

' _And if I happen to pick up a few friends along the way…I could live with that.'_ He thought contentedly.

Suddenly, and enormous burst of golden light flooded the area, originating from inside the Guild. It swept across the immediate vicinity. It filled the members of Fairy Tail with an unimaginable warmth, like a large blanket light that blew away the darkness. As suddenly as it came, it was gone…

Natsu allowed himself his slowly drift off, content that his job was done. He would leave the rest to the others.

 **xxxxxxx**

 _ **Author Note:**_

 _It took a long time to finally iron this chapter out…and I'm still not fully happy with it but…oh well. I hope you guys enjoyed it. This is the end of the 'prologue' portion of this story, meaning the parts that were there to build the back story and the settings that will allow me to take things forward in my own direction._

 _As of now, all of my stories are in the same state, now that I have established the back stories and characters to an agreeable amount, I can let loose on what I wish to incorporate without holding back._

 _It has occurred to me, as I read through all of my stories recently, that I'm a bit too narrative in my writing style so I'm hoping to incorporate more dialogue in the coming chapters that will hopefully make the stories more engaging and bring out the personality of my characters a bit more and give them some added dimensions._

 _I made up a few attacks for Gajeel as it annoyed me that he had such little range in canon. If you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to send them in. Regarding Natsu's_ _ **Pulse Bomb**_ _, picture Kuma from One Piece and the compression attack he used on Thriller Bark…I can't remember the name of it…but not on as large of a scale._

 _ **Updates:**_ _Now, concerning updates, I know it's been almost six months since I've last updated, so let me take the time to address that._

 _I have had quite a few people sending me inquiries, some polite, some outright hostile. Let me make a few things clear regarding this issue._

 _Currently, I am a second year university student. I also work part time in order to pay back my student loans. With that being said, I rarely have the time to relax as I have a hefty workload. So when I do get some free time, I prefer to just chill and not have to fully engage my brain. Now, that isn't to say that I don't enjoy writing, as it's something that I take pleasure in, however, as of this point in my life, my education takes priority and therefore I will put all my focus in that direction._

 _Now, that isn't to say that I will be abandoning my stories as I have already invested quite a bit into them and have already got them mapped out quite a bit. What will happen though is that they will be on the back burner so to speak. I will try to update when I can but they will be sporadic at best until I finish my degree. I understand that some people won't like this but my education takes priority. So I apologise to those who are offended but this is a hobby, not a job and I don't get paid for it._

 _Regarding the amount of 'hate-mail' that I've been receiving, it's almost admirable in that I can't believe that people have this much free time for something so insignificant. Normally, I won't even address something so petty and I normally completely ignore any flames. But this is to assure my loyal readers, who have written me, pleading not to drop the story because of the derisive comments of a few people._

 _I don't claim to be a great writer, if anything, I am an amateur in every sense of the word. I don't have a degree in English literature, the best I have is an A+ in high school English. I don't think that fully qualifies me as a writer but I try to get by. Therefore, I'm bound to make mistakes, in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Those are inevitable. I will try my best though to minimise those, but I'm not perfect._

 _Therefore, when people tell me how much my story sucks and how I should quit writing or how I, as one particularly outspoken fellow stated, should kill myself…I don't feel any anger. If anything, I feel pity. The fact that people can take time out of their days to write such things to a complete stranger never fails to baffle me. I don't take any of them to heart though. If you have criticism for my story, I welcome it. If you are going to criticise though, I except you to tell me what you don't like and how you feel I could improve on it. Basically, if you are going to criticise me, make it constructive so we can both discuss where you think I went wrong and how we can improve it. If you are just going to 'flame' me, I'm going to expertly ignore it. I understand that not everyone will like my story, that much is expected. Just as not all of us like the same food or music or even taste in men/woman, not all of us will like the same kinds of stories. That individuality is what makes us human. So if you don't like my story, I'm not upset as I expect that people preferences are different. If you plan on dropping the story, I don't mind as I know my story isn't for everyone. If just one person out there enjoys my story, I count that as an accomplishment. Which is why I'm happy to see so many people favourite/follow my stories as I never expected it. Therefore, I would like to thank you all for your patience and your understanding during this time. I will try to repay your faith in me as best I can._

 _In conclusion, if you don't like my story, I apologise that I couldn't peak your interests, and if you do, please rest assured that I will try my best to deliver the best quality chapters that I can when I have the time._

 _Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my story._

 _Lionheart021 out!_


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